Stifel Raises Palo Alto's Price Target to $275 Ahead of Q3 Results
Written by Emily J. Thompson, Senior Investment Analyst
Updated: May 20 2026
0mins
Source: seekingalpha
- Positive Demand Trends: Analyst Adam Borg spoke with five Tier-1 cybersecurity VARs/SIs with a combined annual Palo spend of over $2 billion, revealing that three partners exceeded expectations in Palo's F3Q results, indicating strong market demand and platform opportunities.
- Acquisition and AI Positioning: Partners expressed positive sentiments regarding Palo's CyberArk acquisition and AI strategy, suggesting the company's competitiveness and growth potential in the cybersecurity sector, which is expected to support reaffirmation of FY26 guidance.
- Price Target Increase: Stifel raised Palo Alto's price target from $185 to $275 while reiterating a Buy rating, reflecting increased confidence in the company's future performance and enhanced market recognition.
- Positive Stock Reaction: Palo Alto shares rose nearly 3% in Wednesday's trading, indicating investor optimism ahead of the upcoming earnings report, further validating market confidence in its growth prospects.
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Analyst Views on PANW
Wall Street analysts forecast PANW stock price to fall
34 Analyst Rating
28 Buy
5 Hold
1 Sell
Strong Buy
Current: 256.750
Low
157.00
Averages
232.49
High
265.00
Current: 256.750
Low
157.00
Averages
232.49
High
265.00
About PANW
Palo Alto Networks, Inc. is a global artificial intelligence (AI) cybersecurity company, with a comprehensive portfolio of cybersecurity solutions and platforms across network, cloud, security operations, AI and Identity. Its network security platform includes Secure Access Service Edge (SASE), Next-Generation Firewalls, Cloud Delivered Security Services (CDSS), Prisma AIRS, and Strata Cloud Manager (SCM). It delivers security operations capabilities that unifies standalone Security Information and Event Management (SIEM) tools, endpoint security, security automation, cloud detection and response (CDR), as well as attack surface management (ASM) capabilities on its Cortex platform. It delivers comprehensive security across the cloud application development lifecycle through Cortex Cloud. Its Unit 42 brings together expertise across threat research, incident response, and security consulting to deliver intelligence-driven, response-ready outcomes that help customers reduce cyber risk.
About the author

Emily J. Thompson
Emily J. Thompson, a Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA) with 12 years in investment research, graduated with honors from the Wharton School. Specializing in industrial and technology stocks, she provides in-depth analysis for Intellectia’s earnings and market brief reports.
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