Sifting through countless of stocks in the Software industry can be tedious, and sometimes two stocks are just too similar to judge which is the better investment. If you’re on the fence about investing in Palo Alto Networks or Inc. because you’re not sure how they measure up, it’s important to compare them on a few factors before making your decision.

Read on to learn how Palo Alto Networks and Inc. compare based on key financial metrics to determine which better meets your investment needs.

About Palo Alto Networks and Inc.

Palo Alto Networks, Inc. provides cybersecurity solutions in the Americas, Europe, the Middle East, Africa, the Asia Pacific, and Japan. It offers Prisma Access, a secure access service edge solution; Strata Cloud Manager, a network security management solution; and Prisma AIRS to protect customers’ entire AI ecosystem. It provides a comprehensive cloud native application protection platform; and Code to Cloud platform, as well as offers VM-Series and CN-Series virtual firewalls for inline network security on multi- and hybrid-cloud environments. It provides security operation solutions through the Cortex platform that includes Cortex XSIAM, an AI-driven security operations platform; Cortex XDR to prevent, detect, and respond to cybersecurity attacks; and Cortex XSOAR for security orchestration, automation, and response; and Cortex Xpanse for attack surface management, as well as offers threat intelligence and advisory services under the Unit 42 name. It provides subscription services covering the areas of threat prevention, malware and persistent threat, URL filtering, laptop and mobile device protection, DNS security, Internet of Things security, SaaS security API, and SaaS security inline; and threat intelligence, data loss prevention, services to resolve network disruptions, and sensitive data protection. It offers professional services, including architecture design and planning, implementation, configuration, and firewall migration; education services, such as certifications, as well as online and in-classroom training; and support services. It sells its products and services through its channel partners, as well as directly to enterprises, service providers, and government entities operating in various industries, including education, energy, financial services, government entities, healthcare, Internet and media, manufacturing, public sector, and telecommunications. The company was incorporated in 2005 and is headquartered in Santa Clara, California.

Latest Software and Palo Alto Networks, Inc., Stock News

As of June 12, 2026, Palo Alto Networks, Inc. had a $227.9 billion market capitalization, compared to the Software median of $1.0 million. Palo Alto Networks, Inc.’s stock is up 51.8% in 2026, up 2.8% in the previous five trading days and up 43.85% in the past year.

Currently, Palo Alto Networks, Inc.’s price-earnings ratio is 243.8. Palo Alto Networks, Inc.’s trailing 12-month revenue is $10.6 billion with a 7.9% net profit margin. Year-over-year quarterly sales growth most recently was 31.1%. Analysts expect adjusted earnings to reach $3.771 per share for the current fiscal year. Palo Alto Networks, Inc. does not currently pay a dividend.

Currently, does not have a price-earnings ratio. ’s trailing 12-month revenue is $0.0 with a % net profit margin. As of June 12, 2026, has not reported significant year-over-year quarterly sales. There are no analysts providing consensus earnings estimates for the current fiscal year. does not currently pay a dividend.

How We Compare Palo Alto Networks and Inc. Stock Grades

Stock evaluation requires access to huge amounts of data and the knowledge and time to sift through it all, make sense of financial ratios, read income statements and analyze recent stock movements. AAII created A+ Investor, a robust data suite that condenses data research in an actionable and customizable way suitable for investors of all knowledge levels, to help investors streamline and work through such data.

AAII’s proprietary stock grades come with A+ Investor. These offer intuitive A‐F grades for each of five key investing factors: value, growth, momentum, earnings estimate revisions and quality. Here, we’ll take a closer look at Palo Alto Networks and Inc.’s stock grades to see how they measure up against one another.

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Palo Alto Networks and Inc. Stock Value Grades

Company	Ticker	Value
Palo Alto Networks, Inc.	PANW	F

Successful stock investing involves buying low and selling high, so stock valuation is an important consideration for stock selection.

Buying stocks that are going to go up typically means buying stocks that are undervalued in the first place, although momentum investors may argue that point.

AAII’s A+ Investor Value Grade derives from a stock’s value score. The Value Score is the percentile rank of the average of the percentile ranks of the price-to-sales ratio, price-earnings ratio, enterprise-value-to-EBITDA (EV/EBITDA) ratio, shareholder yield, price-to-book-value ratio and price-to-free-cash-flow ratio. The score is variable, meaning it can consider all six ratios or, should any of the six ratios not be valid, the remaining ratios that are valid. To be assigned a Value Score, stocks must have a valid (non-null) ratio and corresponding ranking for at least two of the six valuation ratios.

Stocks with a Value Score from 81 to 100 are considered deep value, those with a score between 61 and 80 are a good value and so on.

Palo Alto Networks, Inc. has a Value Score of 2, which is Ultra Expensive.

The Value Stock Winner: No Clear Winner

Neither Palo Alto Networks or Inc. has a high enough value grade to be considered a “winner.” Investors who are considering these companies should do additional due diligence and research to see if either could be a good addition to their portfolio. It’s important to look at a wide range of financial metrics in order to determine if Palo Alto Networks or Inc. is the better investment when it comes to value.

Palo Alto Networks and Inc.’s Quality Grades

Company	Ticker	Quality
Palo Alto Networks, Inc.	PANW	D

Like the Value Grade, AAII’s A+ Investor Quality Grade comes from the percentile rank of key metrics. Specifically, the Quality Score is the percentile rank of the average of the percentile ranks of return on assets (ROA), return on invested capital (ROIC), gross profit relative to assets, buyback yield, change in total liabilities to assets, accruals, Z double prime bankruptcy risk (Z) score and the F-Score.

The score is variable, meaning it can consider all eight measures or, should any of the eight measures not be valid, the remaining measures that are valid. To be assigned a Quality Score, stocks must have a valid (non-null) measure and corresponding ranking for at least four of the eight quality measures.

The Quality Score is used to assess the underlying “quality” of a particular stock. A higher-quality stock possesses traits associated with upside potential and reduced downside risk. Backtesting of the Quality Grade shows that stocks with higher grades, on average, outperformed stocks with lower grades over the period of 1998 through 2019.

Stocks receive better grades (higher scores) for having higher scores for the quality subcomponents and worse grades (lower scores) for lower scores for the subcomponents.

Palo Alto Networks, Inc. has a Quality Score of 28, which is Weak.

The Quality Stock Winner: No Clear Winner

Neither Palo Alto Networks or Inc. has a high enough Quality Grade to be considered a “winner.” Investors who are considering these companies should do additional due diligence and research to see if either could be a good addition to their portfolios. It’s important to look at a wide range of financial metrics in order to determine if Palo Alto Networks or Inc. is the better investment when it comes to quality.

Palo Alto Networks and Inc.’s Estimate Revisions Grades

Company	Ticker	Earnings Estimate
Palo Alto Networks, Inc.	PANW	B

Earnings estimate revisions scores consider the magnitude of a company’s earnings surprise in its last two reported fiscal quarters. Often, positive surprises beget further positive surprises‐or at least continued sales growth (the exact opposite is generally true, too).

Estimate revisions offer an indication of what analysts are thinking about the short-term prospects of a firm. Estimate revisions are based on the statistical significance of a firm’s last two quarterly earnings surprises and the percentage change in its consensus estimate for the current fiscal year over the past month and past three months.

Palo Alto Networks, Inc. has a Earnings Estimate Score of 70, which is Positive.

The Earnings Estimate Revisions Grade Winner: Palo Alto Networks, Inc.

As you can clearly see from the Earnings Estimate Revisions Grade breakdown above, Palo Alto Networks, Inc. has a better Earnings Estimate Revisions Grade than . For those who are specifically looking for companies with better short-term prospects when compared to other companies in the same industry, Palo Alto Networks, Inc. could be a good stock to invest in. However, it’s important to analyze multiple factors based on a wide range of metrics before deciding whether to buy.

Other Palo Alto Networks and Inc. Grades

In addition to Value, Quality and Estimate Revisions, A+ Investor also provides grades for Growth and Momentum.

Momentum grades help uncover stocks experiencing anomalously high rates of return; research finds that stocks with high relative levels of momentum tend to outperform, whereas those with low levels of momentum tend to continue underperforming.

Growth investing builds on the idea that stocks of companies exhibiting strong, consistent and prolonged growth outperform those of slower-growth companies. AAII measures growth through consistency of annual sales growth, five-year sales growth rankings adjusted for extreme levels, and consistency of positive annual cash from operations.

These 2 key factors, when combined with the above, provide a holistic view into a particular stock. Further, by joining A+ Investor you can see whether Palo Alto Networks and Inc. pass any of our 60+ stock screens that have outperformed the market since their creation.

So, Which Is the Better Investment, Palo Alto Networks or Inc. Stock?

Overall, Palo Alto Networks, Inc. stock has a Value Score of 2, Estimate Revisions Score of 70 and Quality Score of 28.

Comparing Palo Alto Networks and Inc.’s grades, scores and metrics can act as a solid basis to determine whether they may be a good investment or not. You’ll also want to look at your portfolio’s asset allocation as well as your risk tolerance and financial goals to see if either of these stocks would make a good fit for you. AAII can help you figure out which investments align with your individual needs and preferences.

Investors are encouraged to do their own due diligence and research. In this way, individuals can effectively become managers of their own assets‐without having to rely on others for financial independence. You can count on AAII for timeless articles on financial planning and stock-picking, unbiased research and actionable analysis.

A+ Investor adds to our qualitative teaching with a powerful data suite to help you whittle down investment choices to find stocks, exchange-traded funds (ETFs) or mutual funds that meet your needs.

AAII Disclaimer

We make no representations or warranties that any investor will, or is likely to, achieve profits similar to those shown, because past, hypothetical or simulated performance is not necessarily indicative of future results. Before making an investment decision, you should consider your circumstances and whether the information on our content is applicable to your situation. This information was prepared in good faith, and we accept no liability for any errors or omissions. The full disclaimer can be read here.