Stock fact sheet · data as of
Palo Alto Networks, Inc. (PANW): fair value, margin of safety and Wheel Score
Technology · Software - Infrastructure · United States · High Growth
Is PANW undervalued?
Palo Alto Networks, Inc. (PANW) closed at 375.04 on 16 Oct 2026, 872% above the GLS average fair value of 38.60. 8 of the 8 models that produced a number value the shares below the current price. A gap this wide usually means the market is paying for growth or a story the trailing numbers do not show yet; the models work from filed results, not forecasts, so they are conservative by design.
The 8 models disagree widely: EPV gives 4.55 while 10 Cap gives 119.47. A spread that wide means the average is sensitive to which methods you trust; the model table below shows where each one lands, and the Quote page lets you switch any of them off.
The nightly engine files PANW under High Growth: revenue and earnings growing fast enough that the growth-based models carry the valuation.
Nine valuation models for PANW
Each model turns the latest filed numbers into a value per share; the GLS fair value is the simple average of the ones that produce a positive number. The last two rows are shown for reference and never enter the average. The Quote page lets you switch any model off and add your own margin of safety.
| Model | Value | vs price | What it measures |
|---|---|---|---|
| DCF | 80.22 | -79% | Present value of the projected free cash flows, discounted at the cost of capital |
| Graham Number | 18.40 | -95% | The most a defensive investor pays for the earnings and book value per share |
| Graham Growth | 14.72 | -96% | Graham's growth formula: EPS × (8.5 + 2 × growth), adjusted for bond yields |
| Lynch | 5.78 | -98% | EPS × the earnings growth rate (PEG of 1), growth capped at 25% |
| GLS Growth | 25.09 | -93% | EPS compounded ten years at the blended growth rate, discounted back at 15% a year |
| 10 Cap | 119.47 | -68% | Owner's earnings (operating cash flow less maintenance capex) capitalised at 10% |
| Payback Time | 40.58 | -89% | Eight years of compounded free cash flow: the price at which the business pays for itself |
| DDM | - | - | Dividend discount model: next year's dividend ÷ (10% − 3% growth); needs a dividend; no value tonight |
| EPV | 4.55 | -99% | Earnings power value: current EPS capitalised at 9% with no growth |
| Zombie (liquidation) | -15.07 | -104% | Current assets less all liabilities, per share: the balance-sheet floor. Not in the average |
| Wall St target | 400.05 | +7% | Analysts' average 12-month price target. Not in the average |
Quality and financial health
Financial health is weak: PANW passes 4 of the nine Piotroski tests. Our screens drop the stock at the health rule; a low score is often the reason a stock looks cheap on the valuation models. The GLS Moat score is 5.8 out of 10: a ten-year record that is consistent in some of the metrics the score tracks (revenue, earnings, margins, cash flow, returns on capital) and patchy in others.
Returns on capital are thin or negative - ROIC 1.0%, ROE 1.1%, ROA 0.6% - with debt at 0.09 times equity and a free-cash-flow yield of 1.3%.
Palo Alto Networks, Inc. pays no dividend, so the DDM model does not apply and a covered-call holder earns only the premium and any price gain. Revenue comes mainly from Subscription 54%, Support 26%, Product 20% (quarter Q4 FY2026).
Institutional ownership scores 10/10, insider activity 1/10 and Congressional trading 4/10 on the GLS smart-money scales.
| Piotroski F-score | 4 / 9 | ROIC | 1.0% |
|---|---|---|---|
| GLS Moat | 5.8 / 10 | ROE | 1.1% |
| Debt / equity | 0.09 | ROA | 0.6% |
| Free-cash-flow yield | 1.3% | Payout ratio | 0% |
| Institutions | 10 / 10 | Insiders · Congress | 1 · 4 / 10 |
Wheel Score 58: Fair
PANW scores 58 out of 100 on the Wheel Score (Fair band, 50-64): a usable but unremarkable fit for the wheel strategy. The parts: Value 0/25, Health 9/20, Moat 9/15, Premium 20/20, Stability 20/20. Value (0/25) is where the points are missing.
Implied volatility is 58% on the near-the-money contracts 20-60 days out - inside the 35-60% range the Wheel Score pays full marks for: enough premium to be worth selling, not so much that the risk is unpaid. The option chain is deep: 120,758 contracts of open interest across all expiries, which means tight fills at most strikes.
Volume runs at 7.1M shares a day on a market cap of $306.8B, with a beta of 0.93; the Stability part of the Wheel Score gives that 20 of 20.
| Part | Points | From | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Value | 0 / 25 | -872% margin of safety | |
| Health | 9 / 20 | Piotroski 4/9 | |
| Moat | 9 / 15 | moat 5.8/10 | |
| Premium | 20 / 20 | implied volatility 58% | |
| Stability | 20 / 20 | 7.1M shares/day, $306.8B cap, beta 0.93 |
The Wheel Score ranks ~7,400 US stocks for selling cash-secured puts and covered calls; it is updated nightly and is not a recommendation. The walkthrough lesson shows how the score fits into a trade, start to finish.
Upcoming events
The next earnings report is due on 18 Nov 2026 (after the close), 33 days away; a 30-45-day put sold today would expire after it, which is worth weighing against the premium.
Earnings, dividend, IPO, split and economic calendars for the whole market, filterable to your watchlists.
Similar stocks in Software - Infrastructure
The 12 companies below are the closest to Palo Alto Networks, Inc. by market cap within the Software - Infrastructure industry, each with its own fact sheet; the Compare page puts up to eight of them side by side.
| Stock | Close | Fair value | MoS | Wheel | Mkt cap |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| CRWD CrowdStrike Holdings, Inc. | 244.57 | 7.09 | -3351% | 60Fair | $250.4B |
| ORCL Oracle Corporation | 134.45 | 178.67 | +25% | 83Prime | $406.5B |
| PLTR Palantir Technologies Inc. | 200.97 | 37.32 | -439% | 65Good | $462.4B |
| FTNT Fortinet, Inc. | 181.91 | 75.65 | -140% | 66Good | $133.5B |
| NET Cloudflare, Inc. | 316.13 | 16.82 | -1779% | 45Weak | $112.6B |
| SNPS Synopsys, Inc. | 479.93 | 255.52 | -88% | 58Fair | $91.9B |
| XYZ Block, Inc. | 75.87 | 42.21 | -80% | 60Fair | $45.2B |
| BSQKZ Block, Inc. | 74.33 | 40.92 | -82% | 33No options | $44.7B |
| TWLO Twilio Inc. | 271.12 | 186.27 | -46% | 52Fair | $41.6B |
| CRWV CoreWeave, Inc. Class A Common Stock | 69.69 | - | - | 45Weak | $38.4B |
| ZS Zscaler, Inc. | 220.79 | 105.30 | -110% | 45Weak | $35.7B |
| OKTA Okta, Inc. | 208.52 | 81.68 | -155% | 66Good | $34.9B |
Screen the whole market the same way
A free GLS Equity account gets you nightly fair value and the Wheel Score on ~7,400 US stocks, a watchlist, the scanner preview and the Sunday Scan - the same eight-rule screen, emailed every week. Pro adds the full put and call scanners, unlimited watchlists with alerts and the trade journal.
Start free See the Sunday ScanQuestions about PANW
Is PANW undervalued right now?
No: at 375.04 the stock trades 872% above the GLS average fair value of 38.60 (data as of 16 Oct 2026), well beyond what trailing earnings, cash flow and book value support.
What is the Wheel Score of PANW and what does it mean?
PANW scores 58 out of 100 (Fair). The Wheel Score blends the margin of safety (25 points), Piotroski health (20), the GLS moat (15), the option premium on offer (20) and trading stability (20) into one number that ranks stocks for the wheel strategy - selling cash-secured puts, then covered calls if assigned. 80 and above is Prime, 65-79 Good, 50-64 Fair, under 50 Weak.
What is the GLS fair value for PANW?
38.60 per share as of 16 Oct 2026 - the simple average of the 8 valuation models (out of nine: DCF, Graham Number, Graham Growth, Lynch, GLS Growth, 10 Cap, Payback Time, DDM and EPV) that produced a positive value. The models run every night on the latest filings; the Quote page lets you switch any of them off and add a margin of safety of your own.
When does Palo Alto Networks, Inc. report earnings next?
The next earnings report is due on 18 Nov 2026 (after the close), 33 days from the data date of 16 Oct 2026. The Calendars page lists every upcoming report with its time of day.
Does PANW have listed options, and how liquid are they?
Yes. The nightly snapshot found 1,000 listed contracts with 120,758 open interest across all expiries and implied volatility of 58% on the near-the-money contracts. The Options scanner lists the cash-secured put and covered call set-ups with premium and annualised yield worked out.