Palo Alto Networks (PANW) Stock Today – November 25, 2025: Earnings ‘Beat and Raise’, AI Deals and What to Watch Next

Palo Alto Networks, Inc. (NASDAQ: PANW) heads into the November 25, 2025 trading day as one of the most closely watched cybersecurity stocks on Wall Street, with fresh headlines about its earnings, big AI‑focused acquisitions and a sharp pullback in the share price all competing for investor attention.

As of the last completed U.S. trading session on Monday, November 24, 2025, Palo Alto Networks stock closed at $183.89, up about 0.5% on the day, after trading between roughly $182 and $187 on volume of just over 11 million shares. ^[1] That closing level leaves PANW well below its late‑October high near $221, a retreat of roughly 17%, even though the company has just reported another quarter of double‑digit revenue growth and robust free cash flow. ^[2]

Below is a breakdown of where the stock stands today, which news from November 24–25 matters most, and what traders and long‑term investors will be watching as Tuesday’s session unfolds.

Palo Alto Networks stock price heading into November 25, 2025

Last close (Nov 24, 2025): $183.89
Daily move: +0.54% vs. Friday’s close, with an intraday range of $181.92–$186.58 and volume of about 11.0 million shares. ^[3]
Recent trend: Shares have fallen nearly 10% over the last several sessions, part of what one analysis describes as a “9.9% pullback”, even though shareholders are still up more than 270% over the past five years. ^[4]
From recent peak: Barchart notes PANW traded around $221.38 on October 28, meaning the stock is now roughly 17% below that recent high. ^[5]

In other words, investors are dealing with a stock that has sold off hard from its highs, but is still sitting on big multi‑year gains and a strong underlying growth story.

Earnings recap: a Q1 FY 2026 “beat and raise” with mixed market reaction

Palo Alto’s latest results, covering its fiscal first quarter 2026 (quarter ended October 31, 2025), arrived after the close on November 19 and set the tone for recent trading:

Revenue: About $2.47 billion, up roughly 15–16% year‑over‑year, according to Nasdaq and Reuters. ^[6]
GAAP earnings: Approximately $334 million, or $0.47 per share, down slightly from $351 million, or $0.49 a year ago. ^[7]
Non‑GAAP (adjusted) EPS:$0.93, ahead of the consensus estimate of $0.89. ^[8]
Guidance:
- Next quarter: EPS of about $0.93–$0.95 on revenue of $2.57–$2.59 billion. ^[9]
- Full fiscal 2026: Revenue guidance lifted to $10.50–$10.54 billion and adjusted EPS to $3.80–$3.90, slightly higher than prior forecasts. ^[10]

Free‑cash‑flow (FCF) remains a standout. Barchart highlights that fiscal Q1 adjusted free cash flow climbed to about $1.71 billion, with a trailing 12‑month adjusted FCF margin near 39%, underscoring how cash‑generative the subscription and platform model has become. ^[11]

Yet despite the combination of revenue growth, an EPS beat and higher full‑year guidance, PANW sold off after the report. A widely read commentary characterizes the quarter as a “beat and raise” that still “signals caution,” largely because of valuation concerns and rising risk factors around execution and M&A. ^[12]

Big AI‑focused deals: Chronosphere and CyberArk

Two major acquisitions sit at the center of today’s Palo Alto Networks story: Chronosphere and CyberArk.

Chronosphere: observability + AI

On November 19, Reuters reported that Palo Alto will buy cloud observability and monitoring company Chronosphere for $3.35 billion, paying in a mix of cash and stock. ^[13] Key points from the deal:

Chronosphere’s annual recurring revenue (ARR) was over $160 million as of September 2025, implying Palo Alto is paying roughly 21× ARR, a rich multiple that caught Wall Street’s eye. ^[14]
Chronosphere will be integrated with Palo Alto’s Cortex AgentiX platform so its AI agents can analyze Chronosphere’s data to detect performance issues and investigate root causes autonomously. ^[15]
The acquisition is part of Palo Alto’s broader push to embed AI and observability deeper into its security operations offerings.

A fresh Reuters brief, carried via TradingView today, also notes that Citi believes the Chronosphere deal will intensify pricing pressure on Datadog, a key competitor in observability. Citi cut its price target on Datadog while highlighting that Chronosphere’s lower‑cost model, combined with Palo Alto’s big distribution network, could prove challenging for rivals. ^[16]

CyberArk: identity security at scale

Earlier in November, CyberArk shareholders overwhelmingly approved the company’s acquisition by Palo Alto Networks. BusinessWire reports that the proposal passed with about 99.8% shareholder support, with closing expected in the second half of Palo Alto’s fiscal 2026, subject to regulatory approvals. ^[17]

The CyberArk deal, initially announced in July 2025, is valued at $45 in cash plus 2.2005 PANW shares per CyberArk share, a transaction size widely reported at roughly $25 billion. ^[18] Bringing CyberArk’s identity‑security platform under Palo Alto’s umbrella would give the combined company a powerful position across network, cloud, identity, and AI‑driven security.

Taken together, these moves help explain why Palo Alto is increasingly discussed as a “platform play” in AI‑era cybersecurity, but they also raise questions about integration risk, capital allocation and the price paid for growth.

Today’s key headlines around Palo Alto Networks stock

Across November 24–25, several fresh articles and notes are shaping the narrative around PANW:

“Stock has tanked but FCF is strong” – Barchart
Barchart argues that the recent pullback has pushed Palo Alto Networks “well off its highs” even though Q1 revenue grew about 15.7% and free cash flow remains exceptionally high. The piece suggests a fair value closer to $212 per share, implying mid‑teens upside from around current levels based on its FCF modelling. ^[19]
“Considered a good investment by brokers” – Zacks
A new Zacks note points out that Palo Alto’s Average Brokerage Recommendation (ABR) sits firmly in “buy/outperform” territory, indicating that Wall Street analysts, on balance, still see the stock as attractive despite recent volatility. ^[20]
“Recent 9.9% pullback isn’t enough to hurt long‑term shareholders” – Yahoo/Simply Wall St
Another widely circulated analysis highlights that, in spite of a roughly 9.9% recent pullback, Palo Alto Networks shareholders are still up around 273% over five years, thanks to revenue growing roughly 19% annually over that period. ^[21] The message: short‑term pain, long‑term gains—for now.
“Beat and raise signals caution” – Seeking Alpha
A Seeking Alpha write‑up published today describes the Q1 FY 2026 results as a beat‑and‑raise quarter but warns investors to be mindful of Palo Alto’s valuation premium and growing risk factors (including large acquisitions and competitive intensity). ^[22]
“Chronosphere deal to pressure Datadog” – Reuters via TradingView
The Reuters/Citi note mentioned earlier adds a competitive twist: Chronosphere’s lower‑cost model plus Palo Alto’s scale could pressure pricing in observability and potentially impact Datadog’s recovery with some customers. ^[23]
“Top cybersecurity stocks to add to your watchlist” – MarketBeat
MarketBeat’s latest sector‑focused piece lists Palo Alto Networks, CrowdStrike and Fortinet as three key cybersecurity names to watch, chosen partly for their high recent dollar trading volume and exposure to rising cyber threats and regulatory demand. ^[24]

For Google News and Discover, these stories collectively frame PANW as a high‑growth, high‑valuation AI security leader that’s in the middle of a meaningful, news‑driven correction.

What Wall Street analysts are saying about PANW now

Analyst sentiment remains broadly positive, even after the sell‑off:

Consensus rating: Multiple aggregators show PANW carrying a “Moderate Buy” to “Outperform” consensus rating, based on dozens of brokerage firms. ^[25]
Average price targets:
- MarketBeat calculates an average 12‑month price target of about $225, with the highest target around $255 and the lowest near $135. That implies roughly 22% upside from around $184. ^[26]
- GuruFocus reports a similar average target in the low‑$220s across 49 analysts, again suggesting high single‑digit to low double‑digit percentage upside depending on the reference price. ^[27]
Recent target hikes:
- Mizuho has an Outperform rating and recently raised its target from $220 to $230.
- Other firms, including Evercore ISI, Morgan Stanley, UBS, TD Cowen and Jefferies, have also nudged their targets higher into the roughly $210–$255 range following recent results. ^[28]

While individual analysts differ on near‑term upside, the overall picture is of continued institutional support but with more debate about valuation and execution risk than earlier in the year.

AI, cybersecurity and the long‑term growth story

Beyond the quarter and the deals, Palo Alto continues to position itself at the intersection of AI and cybersecurity:

The company recently published six predictions on “securing the new AI economy”, flagging explosive growth in AI‑driven traffic, a widening gap between machine and human identities, and the need for more advanced AI security strategies. ^[29]
Independent coverage notes that Palo Alto now projects up to around $10.5 billion in fiscal 2026 revenue, with growth powered by AI‑enhanced security tools and strategic acquisitions such as CyberArk. ^[30]
At the same time, some commentators remind investors that Palo Alto trades at a premium valuation compared with many traditional software names, even after the pullback, which means execution on AI and platformization will need to stay strong to support current multiples. ^[31]

Put simply, the long‑term bull case rests on Palo Alto cementing its role as a unified, AI‑driven security platform across network, endpoint, cloud, observability and identity—while the bear case focuses on the rich price tag for that growth and the complexity of integrating multiple large acquisitions.

What to watch in Palo Alto Networks stock today

For Tuesday, November 25, 2025, investors watching PANW may focus on:

Whether the pullback stabilizes near current levels
After a roughly 10% slide and a close just under $184, traders will be watching whether buyers step in on perceived value, especially given bullish FCF commentary and analyst targets above $220. ^[32]
Follow‑through from today’s headlines
- Will the Barchart and Zacks pieces draw in more interest from retail traders and momentum funds? ^[33]
- Does the Citi/Reuters note about Datadog change how the market views Chronosphere—more as an expensive risk, or as a competitively disruptive asset? ^[34]
Sector moves in cybersecurity and AI names
PANW often trades in sympathy with other security leaders such as CrowdStrike, Zscaler and Fortinet. Sector‑level flows, especially after AI‑ or macro‑driven market moves, can either amplify or dampen individual company news. ^[35]
Ongoing debate about valuation vs. growth
New research today from outlets like Seeking Alpha and Yahoo Finance continues to frame Palo Alto as a high‑quality business facing an increasingly “show‑me” market when it comes to premium valuations. ^[36]

Bottom line

Heading into November 25, 2025, Palo Alto Networks stock sits at a crossroads:

Fundamentals: double‑digit revenue growth, a sizeable FCF engine and raised full‑year guidance. ^[37]
Strategy: bold, expensive bets on AI observability (Chronosphere) and identity security (CyberArk) that could deepen its moat if executed well. ^[38]
Market perception: a strong long‑term winner that has recently pulled back sharply and is now being re‑rated in real time as investors weigh growth against valuation and deal risk. ^[39]

For readers discovering this piece via Google News or Discover, the key takeaway for today is that PANW is still a leading AI‑era cybersecurity name, but no longer priced as if nothing can go wrong. How the stock trades around the mid‑$180s zone, and how the market digests the Chronosphere and CyberArk integrations, will be important signals for both short‑term traders and long‑term shareholders over the coming weeks.

Disclaimer: This article is for informational and educational purposes only and does not constitute financial advice, investment recommendation, or an offer to buy or sell any security. Always do your own research or consult a licensed financial professional before making investment decisions.

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