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Palo Alto Networks Q3 Earnings and Revenues Surpass Estimates

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Palo Alto Networks (PANW - Free Report) delivered third-quarter fiscal 2025 non-GAAP earnings of 80 cents per share, which beat the Zacks Consensus Estimate by 3.9%. The figure improved 21.2% year over year.

Palo Alto Networks’ earnings beat the Zacks Consensus Estimate in each of the trailing four quarters, with an average surprise of 18.2%.

PANW’s third-quarter fiscal 2025 revenues of $2.29 billion surpassed the Zacks Consensus Estimate by 0.57%. This compares to year-ago revenues of $1.98 billion.

PANW’s strong performance in the third quarter of fiscal 2025 can be attributed to a robust year-over-year rise in its Subscription & Support revenues, alongside a solid gain in Product revenues. Shares of Palo Alto Networks have gained 24.8%, outperforming the Zacks Security industry’s return of 10.7% in the past year.

Palo Alto Networks, Inc. Price, Consensus and EPS Surprise

Palo Alto Networks, Inc. Price, Consensus and EPS Surprise

Palo Alto Networks, Inc. price-consensus-eps-surprise-chart | Palo Alto Networks, Inc. Quote

Palo Alto Networks’ Q3 2025 Details

Product revenues rose 15.8% year over year to $452.7 million, accounting for 19.8% of total revenues. Subscription and Support revenues, which represented 80.2% of total revenues, grew 15.2% to $1.84 billion, driven by continued momentum across Prisma and Cortex offerings.

Deferred revenues at the end of the fiscal second quarter were $5.76 billion. Remaining performance obligation climbed to $13.5 billion, up 19% year over year. Meanwhile, Next-Generation Security annualized recurring revenues hit $5.09 billion, representing a 34% year-over-year increase and a 6% sequential rise.

Non-GAAP gross profit rose to $1.74 billion, up 13% year-over-year, while the non-GAAP gross margin contracted 60 basis points to 76.0%. Non-GAAP operating income increased 23.5% to $627.1 million, though the non-GAAP operating margin improved 180 basis points to 27.4% compared to the year-ago period.

PANW’s Balance Sheet & Cash Flow

As of April 30, 2025, Palo Alto Networks had $3.3 billion in cash, cash equivalents, and short-term investments, up from $2.23 billion as of Jan. 31, 2025.
The company generated $628.7 million in operating cash flow and reported a non-GAAP adjusted free cash flow of $578.4 million in the third quarter of fiscal 2025.

Palo Alto Networks Raises FY25 Guidance

For fiscal 2025, Palo Alto Networks now expects revenues between $9.17 billion and $9.19 billion, compared with the earlier projected range of $9.14-$9.19 billion. The Zacks Consensus Estimate for fiscal 2025 revenues is pegged at $9.16 billion, indicating a rise of 14.2%. Remaining Performance Obligation is still projected in the range of $15.2-$15.3 billion. Next-Gen Security ARR is still estimated in the band of $5.52-$5.57 billion.

PANW’s fiscal 2025 non-GAAP operating margin is now projected in the range of 28.2- 28.5% compared with the previous guidance of 28-28.5%. Its adjusted free cash flow margin is estimated in the range of 37.5-38%. The company expects non-GAAP earnings per share in the range of $3.26-$3.28. After a two-for-one stock split of PANW shares on Nov. 20, 2024, the outstanding share count is in the band of 700 million-708 million. The consensus mark for fiscal 2025 earnings is pinned at $2.49 per share, suggesting an improvement of 14.2%. The figure remained unchanged over the past 60 days.

For the fourth quarter of fiscal 2025, PANW projects revenues between $2.49 billion and $2.51 billion, which suggests year-over-year growth of 14-15%. The Zacks Consensus Estimate for third-quarter fiscal 2025 revenues is pegged at $2.49 billion, indicating a rise of 13.8%. Remaining Performance Obligations are anticipated between $15.2 billion and $15.3 billion. Next-Gen Security ARR is expected in the band of $5.52-$5.57 billion.

Non-GAAP earnings are projected in the range of 87-89 cents per share. The Zacks Consensus Estimate for non-GAAP earnings is pegged at 50 cents per share, unchanged over the past 60 days, indicating a year-over-year improvement of 17.14%. (Find the latest EPS estimates and surprises on Zacks Earnings Calendar.)

Zacks Rank and Stocks to Consider

Currently, PANW carries a Zacks Rank #3 (Hold).

Amphenol (APH - Free Report) , Juniper Networks (JNPR - Free Report) and Upwork (UPWK - Free Report) are some better-ranked stocks that investors can consider in the broader Zacks Computer & Technology sector. APH, JNPR and UPWK sport a Zacks Rank #1 (Strong Buy) each at present. You can see the complete list of today’s Zacks #1 Rank stocks here.

APH shares have gained 26.4% for the past year. The Zacks Consensus Estimate for APH’s full-year 2025 earnings is pegged at $2.62 per share, up by 4 cents over the past seven days, suggesting a growth of 38.6% from the year-ago quarter’s reported figure.

JNPR shares have gained 4.8% in the past year. The Zacks Consensus Estimate for JNPR’s full-year fiscal 2025 earnings has been revised upward to $2.09 in the past 30 days, suggesting year-over-year growth of 21.5%.

UPWK shares have gained 38% over the past year. The Zacks Consensus Estimate for UPWK’s full-year 2025 earnings is pegged at $1.14 per share, implying a rise of 9.62% from the year-ago quarter’s levels.

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