I'm specialized in fundamental equity research, global macro strategy, and top-down portfolio construction. I graduated from UCLA with a degree of Business Economics and UMich Ross School of Business with a Master of Accounting. I'm a senior analyst at a multi-strategy hedge fund. In my opinion, HODL can't generate significant alpha or maintain a high Sharpe ratio over the long run. Seeking Alpha requires active management and minimizing opportunity costs. Investors should understand seeking a high positive ...

The company is an industry leader with a long track record of growth.The S&P 500 is the most widely recognized stock market index in the U.S., consisting of the 500 largest companies in the country. Given the extensive reach of its member companies, it's considered by many to be the most reliable gauge of overall stock market performance. To be included in the S&P 500, a company must meet the following prerequisites:Be based in the U.S.Have a market cap of at least $18 billionBe highly liquidA minimum of 50 ...

Palo Alto Networks (PANW -3.04%) stock has delivered respectable gains of 30% so far this year, which is commendable considering that it started the year on a negative note and crashed big time in February after releasing its quarterly results.Investors were selling the stock in droves at that time as the cybersecurity specialist reduced its full-year guidance. However, the stock has been recovering in recent months, and the company's latest quarterly results indicate that it may be able to deliver more gai ...

Palo Alto Networks just announced its second stock split in two years.When a high-quality company creates a significant amount of value, its stock price can soar into the hundreds, or even thousands, of dollars. That makes the stock a little expensive for retail investors, which leaves the majority of shares in the hands of institutions and large investment funds.A stock split can resolve that situation. It increases the number of shares in circulation, which organically reduces the price per share by a pro ...

This marks just the second stock split ever for the cybersecurity specialist.There's no denying the ongoing threat of cybersecurity attacks. The global average cost of a data breach in 2024 thus far has been $4.88 million, according to a report by IBM, and that amount grows with each passing year. The stakes have never been higher and with the significant potential for business disruption, cybersecurity has become a critical consideration for any business -- and Palo Alto Networks (PANW 0.47%) is an undispu ...

If you'd like to learn more about how to best position yourself in under valued stocks mispriced by the market to end November, consider joining Out Fox The Street .Mark leads the investing group Out Fox The Street where he shares stock picks and deep research to help readers uncover potential multibaggers while managing portfolio risk via diversification. Features include various model portfolios, stock picks with identifiable catalysts, daily updates, real-time alerts, and access to community chat and dir ...

Palo Alto Networks' (PANW -3.61%) troubles early in the year are beginning to seem like a distant memory after the company once again posted solid earnings results.The stock plunged in February after the cybersecurity company said it was seeing "spending fatigue" among its customers and embarked on a new "platformization" strategy. This strategy was designed to switch customers from point solutions to using a suite of the company's products. However, this move came at a price, as in order to entice customer ...

Earnings Performance - Palo Alto Networks reported a beat and raise during its Q1'25 earnings on November 20, 2024, resulting in mixed price action with a -5% drop post-earnings before recovering the following day [1] - The company provided guidance for Q2'25 and FY25, indicating positive expectations for future performance [1] Analyst Background - Michael Del Monte is a buy-side equity analyst with over 5 years of industry experience and a decade in professional services across various industries including O&G, OFS, Midstream, Industrials, Information Technology, EPC Services, and consumer discretionary [1] - Michael employs a macro-value-oriented approach to investment analysis, leveraging cross-industry insights for investment recommendations [1]

Palo Alto Networks, Inc. (PANW) , a cybersecurity powerhouse, delivered stellar results for its first quarter of fiscal 2025, surpassing market expectations and solidifying its position as a leader in the evolving cybersecurity landscape. With robust financial performance, strategic advancements and an optimistic outlook, PANW presents a compelling investment opportunity. Here’s why you should consider buying Palo Alto Networks stock now.PANW’s Impressive Q1 Earnings Beat ExpectationsPalo Alto Networks repo ...

Investment Rating - The report maintains a "Buy" rating for Palo Alto Networks (PANW) with a target price raised by 17% to $464.40, based on a consistent price-to-sales ratio of 16.0x [3][14]. Core Insights - Palo Alto Networks reported a 13.9% year-over-year revenue growth for Q1 FY2025, reaching $2.1 billion, slightly exceeding Bloomberg consensus estimates by 1% [3]. - Non-GAAP net income for the same period was $544.9 million, reflecting a 17% increase year-over-year and surpassing consensus expectations by 6% [3]. - The company's platform strategy is showing initial success, which is expected to drive long-term market share growth [3]. Summary by Sections Revenue Overview - Subscription and support revenue grew by 16% to $1.8 billion, accounting for 83% of total revenue, driven by increased adoption of Next-Generation Security (NGS) products [4]. - NGS Annual Recurring Revenue (ARR) reached $4.52 billion, a 40% year-over-year increase [4]. Financial Performance - Non-GAAP operating profit was $616.2 million, with a margin of 28.8%, exceeding market expectations by 1.2 percentage points [4]. - The report anticipates Q2 FY2025 total revenue to reach $2.23 billion, reflecting a 13% year-over-year growth [4]. Product Growth - Active SASE customer count increased by 20% year-over-year, with over 40% of new SASE customers being first-time adopters of PANW products [5]. - Cortex ARR reached $1 billion, with significant growth driven by XSIAM, where 40 customers have ARR exceeding $1 million, marking a 180% year-over-year increase [5]. Guidance Update - Management raised FY2025 guidance due to optimistic Q1 performance: NGS ARR is now projected between $5.52 billion and $5.57 billion, total revenue between $9.12 billion and $9.17 billion, and diluted non-GAAP EPS between $6.26 and $6.39 [6]. Valuation Metrics - The target enterprise value/sales for FY2025 is set at $158.2 billion, with a target price of $464.40 based on projected revenue [14]. - The report indicates a consistent growth trajectory in revenue and profitability metrics, with adjusted net income expected to reach $2.26 billion in FY2025 [16].