Palo Alto Networks (NASDAQ:PANW) EVP Dipak Golechha Sells 5,000 Shares

04 Apr 2026, 10:04 by Sarita Garza · The Markets Daily

Palo Alto Networks, Inc. (NASDAQ:PANW – Get Free Report) EVP Dipak Golechha sold 5,000 shares of the stock in a transaction on Wednesday, April 1st. The stock was sold at an average price of $160.42, for a total value of $802,100.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the executive vice president directly owned 150,250 shares in the company, valued at $24,103,105. This trade represents a 3.22% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is accessible through this link.

Palo Alto Networks Stock Performance

PANW stock opened at $163.21 on Friday. The stock has a 50-day moving average price of $162.13 and a two-hundred day moving average price of $186.11. Palo Alto Networks, Inc. has a 12-month low of $139.57 and a 12-month high of $223.61. The company has a market cap of $133.18 billion, a PE ratio of 90.17, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 5.89 and a beta of 0.77.

Palo Alto Networks (NASDAQ:PANW – Get Free Report) last released its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, February 18th. The network technology company reported $1.03 EPS for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.94 by $0.09. Palo Alto Networks had a return on equity of 17.60% and a net margin of 12.96%.The company had revenue of $2.59 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $2.58 billion. During the same period last year, the business posted $0.81 EPS. The company’s quarterly revenue was up 14.9% compared to the same quarter last year. Equities analysts forecast that Palo Alto Networks, Inc. will post 1.76 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several equities analysts recently weighed in on the stock. Cantor Fitzgerald restated an “overweight” rating on shares of Palo Alto Networks in a report on Wednesday, February 18th. Sanford C. Bernstein set a $209.00 price objective on Palo Alto Networks and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a research report on Wednesday, February 18th. Stifel Nicolaus reduced their price objective on Palo Alto Networks from $200.00 to $185.00 and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a research note on Wednesday, February 18th. Wedbush reaffirmed an “outperform” rating and issued a $225.00 target price on shares of Palo Alto Networks in a research report on Wednesday, February 18th. Finally, DA Davidson set a $190.00 target price on Palo Alto Networks and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research note on Wednesday, February 18th. Two research analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, thirty-five have assigned a Buy rating and nine have assigned a Hold rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the stock has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $209.95.

Get Our Latest Stock Report on PANW

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Institutional investors have recently modified their holdings of the business. Brighton Jones LLC raised its position in shares of Palo Alto Networks by 147.7% in the 4th quarter. Brighton Jones LLC now owns 6,761 shares of the network technology company’s stock valued at $1,230,000 after purchasing an additional 4,031 shares in the last quarter. Bison Wealth LLC raised its holdings in Palo Alto Networks by 169.1% in the fourth quarter. Bison Wealth LLC now owns 5,212 shares of the network technology company’s stock valued at $948,000 after acquiring an additional 3,275 shares in the last quarter. Sivia Capital Partners LLC raised its holdings in Palo Alto Networks by 66.3% in the second quarter. Sivia Capital Partners LLC now owns 3,484 shares of the network technology company’s stock valued at $713,000 after acquiring an additional 1,389 shares in the last quarter. Edgestream Partners L.P. bought a new position in Palo Alto Networks during the 2nd quarter valued at $3,070,000. Finally, Twin Peaks Wealth Advisors LLC acquired a new position in Palo Alto Networks during the 2nd quarter worth $192,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 79.82% of the company’s stock.

Palo Alto Networks News Roundup

Here are the key news stories impacting Palo Alto Networks this week:

Positive Sentiment: An insider reportedly bought about US$10.0m of PANW stock, a sign of confidence from management or insiders that can reassure investors and provide upward support to the share price. Insider Buy Article
Positive Sentiment: Zacks published a note highlighting that PANW outperformed the broader market in the latest session, reflecting short‑term buying momentum and attention on the name. That positive market reaction can amplify interest from momentum and quant-driven flows. Zacks Upswing Article
Neutral Sentiment: Benchmark initiated coverage of PANW (coverage initiation often brings increased analyst visibility and trading volume). Investors should watch the new rating and price target for directional cues. Coverage Initiation
Neutral Sentiment: Local law‑firm hiring news (Arman Pahlavan joining Dorsey & Whitney in Palo Alto) is peripheral to PANW fundamentals and unlikely to move the stock materially. Business Wire Article
Negative Sentiment: Two senior executives disclosed open‑market sales on April 1: EVP Dipak Golechha sold 5,000 shares at ~$160.42 and CAO Josh D. Paul sold 1,100 shares at ~$161.40. Insider sales can create near‑term selling pressure or raise governance/rotation questions, even when not unusual for executives. SEC Filing
Negative Sentiment: Analyst/market commentary pointing out a roughly 12% decline over three months highlights near‑term downside and investor concern, even as some pieces note SASE momentum and enterprise wins that could stabilize revenue longer term. Persistent share‑price weakness can prompt re‑rating risk. Zacks Decline Article

Palo Alto Networks Company Profile

(Get Free Report)

Palo Alto Networks (NASDAQ: PANW) is a cybersecurity company founded in 2005 and headquartered in Santa Clara, California. The firm develops a broad suite of security products and services designed to prevent successful cyberattacks and protect enterprise networks, clouds, and endpoints. Built around a platform strategy, its offerings target threat prevention, detection, response and governance across hybrid and multi-cloud environments.