Mizuho Securities USA LLC Boosts Holdings in Palo Alto Networks, Inc. (NASDAQ:PANW)

Mizuho Securities USA LLC raised its holdings in Palo Alto Networks, Inc. (NASDAQ:PANW - Free Report) by 195.4% in the fourth quarter, according to the company in its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The firm owned 62,032 shares of the network technology company's stock after acquiring an additional 41,035 shares during the period. Mizuho Securities USA LLC's holdings in Palo Alto Networks were worth $11,287,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

A number of other large investors have also bought and sold shares of PANW. Cyrus J. Lawrence LLC increased its position in shares of Palo Alto Networks by 100.0% in the fourth quarter. Cyrus J. Lawrence LLC now owns 85,578 shares of the network technology company's stock valued at $15,571,000 after acquiring an additional 42,785 shares during the last quarter. Fi3 FINANCIAL ADVISORS LLC bought a new stake in shares of Palo Alto Networks during the fourth quarter worth approximately $697,000. Virtu Financial LLC acquired a new position in Palo Alto Networks in the 4th quarter valued at $4,299,000. Quantbot Technologies LP bought a new position in Palo Alto Networks during the fourth quarter worth about $5,316,000. Finally, ZEGA Investments LLC bought a new stake in shares of Palo Alto Networks during the 4th quarter valued at $2,284,000. 79.82% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

Palo Alto Networks Stock Down 2.6 %

PANW stock traded down $4.99 during trading hours on Wednesday, hitting $184.96. The company's stock had a trading volume of 3,408,858 shares, compared to its average volume of 5,725,357. Palo Alto Networks, Inc. has a 12 month low of $132.50 and a 12 month high of $208.39. The stock has a 50 day moving average price of $187.31 and a two-hundred day moving average price of $185.38. The company has a market capitalization of $122.46 billion, a PE ratio of 104.20, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 5.64 and a beta of 1.04.

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Palo Alto Networks (NASDAQ:PANW - Get Free Report) last issued its earnings results on Thursday, February 13th. The network technology company reported $0.81 EPS for the quarter, beating analysts' consensus estimates of $0.75 by $0.06. The business had revenue of $2.26 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $2.24 billion. Palo Alto Networks had a return on equity of 21.93% and a net margin of 14.64%. Sell-side analysts expect that Palo Alto Networks, Inc. will post 1.76 earnings per share for the current year.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several equities analysts have recently issued reports on PANW shares. Guggenheim lowered Palo Alto Networks from a "neutral" rating to a "sell" rating and set a $130.00 price target on the stock. in a research note on Monday, January 6th. Westpark Capital reiterated a "hold" rating and set a $196.40 price objective on shares of Palo Alto Networks in a research report on Wednesday, February 12th. Barclays decreased their target price on Palo Alto Networks from $425.00 to $213.00 and set an "overweight" rating for the company in a research note on Tuesday, December 17th. Jefferies Financial Group increased their price target on Palo Alto Networks from $225.00 to $240.00 and gave the stock a "buy" rating in a report on Thursday, December 19th. Finally, Citigroup lifted their target price on Palo Alto Networks from $205.00 to $220.00 and gave the company a "buy" rating in a research report on Tuesday, February 25th. Three research analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, eleven have given a hold rating, twenty-eight have issued a buy rating and one has given a strong buy rating to the company. According to MarketBeat.com, the company has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus price target of $205.06.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other news, CEO Nikesh Arora sold 490,723 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction dated Monday, February 3rd. The shares were sold at an average price of $182.45, for a total transaction of $89,532,411.35. Following the completion of the sale, the chief executive officer now owns 1,086,404 shares in the company, valued at approximately $198,214,409.80. This trade represents a 31.11 % decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through this link. Also, EVP Lee Klarich sold 99,707 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, February 3rd. The stock was sold at an average price of $182.45, for a total transaction of $18,191,542.15. Following the transaction, the executive vice president now directly owns 358,197 shares in the company, valued at $65,353,042.65. This represents a 21.77 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. In the last 90 days, insiders sold 1,122,864 shares of company stock valued at $204,315,811. Company insiders own 2.50% of the company's stock.

Palo Alto Networks Profile

Palo Alto Networks, Inc provides cybersecurity solutions worldwide. The company offers firewall appliances and software; and Panorama, a security management solution for the global control of network security platform as a virtual or a physical appliance. It also 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, as well as threat intelligence, and data loss prevention.