Palo Alto Networks (PANW) After-Hours Q4 Preview
Palo Alto Networks (PANW) is set to report its fiscal Q4 results on August 18, with expectations of an EPS of $0.89 and revenue near $2.5 billion. The stock has faced a 3% decline this year amid concerns over a $25 billion CyberArk deal and slowing growth. Analysts are mixed but generally optimistic, with a Strong Buy consensus and an average price target of $215.73. Key factors to watch include revenue trends, CyberArk integration, and fiscal 2025 guidance, as the market anticipates a post-earnings volatility of about 7.97%.
Palo Alto Networks (NASDAQ: PANW) reports fiscal Q4 results after the bell on Monday, August 18. The stock has been under pressure this year - roughly a 3% slide - as investors wrestle with the hefty $25 billion CyberArk deal, signs of slowing top-line growth, and a patchy market reaction to Q3 results.
Street estimates have baked in an EPS of about $0.89, up roughly 17% from a year ago, and revenue near $2.5 billion, roughly +14% year-over-year. Those figures line up with consensus data and sit against a notable streak: Palo Alto has topped EPS estimates in each of the last nine quarters.
Analysts are split on the outlook but not universally pessimistic. Catharine Trebnick at Rosenblatt trimmed her price target to $215 from $235 while keeping a Buy rating. Her bullish signals center on steady demand for software firewalls, a refresh cycle for appliances, and uptake of AI-driven security tools like XSIAM. She also flagged early adoption of the new Prisma Access Browser as companies try to lock down GenAI-related and browser-based workflows. Rosenblatt expects fiscal 2025 revenue growth to exceed the company's 14.5% guidance, driven by renewals and larger multi-product deals, and projects improved margins and another upside surprise on the bottom line.
Options markets are signaling a healthy dose of post-earnings volatility. The at-the-money straddle tied to the nearest post-report expiration implies an expected move of about 7.97% in either direction. That's the market pricing in uncertainty - not a prediction of direction, just magnitude.
Wall Street's aggregate view remains tilted upbeat: 30 Buy calls, six Holds and one Sell, translating to a Strong Buy consensus and an average price target around $215.73 - about 21.8% above current levels.
What will matter on the print is more than a number or two. Revenue trends, renewal cadence, commentary on CyberArk integration, and any change to fiscal-2025 guidance will drive the headline reaction. Management's tone on deal velocity and margins will probably carry more weight than the raw EPS figure. Expect a lively after-hours tape.
