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Palo Alto Plans CyberArk Buyout: Can This Boost PANW's Identity Edge?
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Key Takeaways
PANW reportedly is in advanced talks to acquire CYBR in a deal potentially exceeding $20 billion.
The deal would boost PANW's identity and privileged access capabilities amid rising IAM demand.
The move aligns with PANW's platformization strategy to unify cloud, endpoint and identity security.
Palo Alto Networks, Inc. (PANW - Free Report) is in advanced talks to acquire CyberArk Software Ltd. (CYBR - Free Report) , the Wall Street Journal reported on Tuesday, citing people familiar with the matter. The report further stated that the deal could be worth more than $20 billion.
If completed, the acquisition would expand Palo Alto Networks’ reach beyond network and cloud security into identity and privileged access management (PAM). As identity threats become more central to cyberattacks, the timing of this potential acquisition may align well with growing enterprise needs.
Following the report, shares of CyberArk soared 13.5%, while Palo Alto Networks witnessed a decline of 5.2%. Year to date, CYBR has outperformed the Zacks Security industry, while PANW has underperformed the same.
YTD Price Return Performance
Image Source: Zacks Investment Research
Buyout Deal to Bolster PANW’s Foothold in Identity Security
Identity and access management (IAM) is emerging as one of the fastest-growing areas within cybersecurity. According to a MarketsandMarkets report, the global IAM market size is anticipated to reach $34.3 billion by 2029, reflecting a CAGR of 8.4% during the 2024-2029 period.
As organizations move more workloads to the cloud and adopt hybrid work models, managing and protecting user access has become a core security priority. CyberArk is a leader in this space, particularly known for its privileged access management tools that protect sensitive accounts often targeted in breaches.
CyberArk’s acquisition would strengthen Palo Alto Networks’ foothold in a category where it currently lacks scale. PANW has already built out capabilities in endpoint and network security through its Cortex and Prisma platforms. However, identity-driven threat protection has remained a weaker link, an area where competitors like CrowdStrike Holdings, Inc. (CRWD - Free Report) and Okta, Inc. (OKTA - Free Report) have moved more aggressively.
Okta focuses solely on identity, while CrowdStrike is pushing deeper into identity protection with native offerings such as Falcon Identity Threat Protection, Falcon Identity Threat Detection and Falcon Privileged Access. By integrating CyberArk’s capabilities, Palo Alto Networks would be able to deliver a more comprehensive, unified platform that spans cloud, endpoint, network and identity protection.
CYBR Buyout Aligns With PANW’s Platformization Approach
The acquisition of CyberArk aligns with Palo Alto Networks’ “platformization” strategy, which combines network, endpoint and cloud security in one ecosystem. Adding CyberArk would expand that platform into identity, a missing layer that customers now consider essential.
Palo Alto Networks’ platformization approach has been gaining significant traction. In the third quarter of fiscal 2025, the company added more than 90 new platformized deals. This brings the total to around 1,250 platformizations among its top 5,000 accounts. Moreover, customers who use more than one PANW platform grew nearly 70% year over year during the third quarter.
Management believes platformization is key to reaching its $15 billion Next-Gen Security Annual Recurring Revenue target by fiscal 2030, with 60-70% of that total expected to come from platformized customers. With approximately 2% of PANW’s more than 70,000 customers fully platformized, the runway remains wide open.
Conclusion: CYBR’s Addition to Bolster PANW’s Prospects
The potential CyberArk acquisition could give Palo Alto Networks the tools it needs to lead in identity-first security, a fast-growing segment in which rivals like Okta and CrowdStrike are continuously growing their expertise. By combining identity, cloud and endpoint protection, PANW would be better positioned to serve large enterprises looking for broad, integrated solutions.
We believe that the deal, if it materializes, may define Palo Alto Networks’ next chapter in the cybersecurity race.
Image: Bigstock
Palo Alto Plans CyberArk Buyout: Can This Boost PANW's Identity Edge?
Key Takeaways
Palo Alto Networks, Inc. (PANW - Free Report) is in advanced talks to acquire CyberArk Software Ltd. (CYBR - Free Report) , the Wall Street Journal reported on Tuesday, citing people familiar with the matter. The report further stated that the deal could be worth more than $20 billion.
If completed, the acquisition would expand Palo Alto Networks’ reach beyond network and cloud security into identity and privileged access management (PAM). As identity threats become more central to cyberattacks, the timing of this potential acquisition may align well with growing enterprise needs.
Following the report, shares of CyberArk soared 13.5%, while Palo Alto Networks witnessed a decline of 5.2%. Year to date, CYBR has outperformed the Zacks Security industry, while PANW has underperformed the same.
YTD Price Return Performance
Image Source: Zacks Investment Research
Buyout Deal to Bolster PANW’s Foothold in Identity Security
Identity and access management (IAM) is emerging as one of the fastest-growing areas within cybersecurity. According to a MarketsandMarkets report, the global IAM market size is anticipated to reach $34.3 billion by 2029, reflecting a CAGR of 8.4% during the 2024-2029 period.
As organizations move more workloads to the cloud and adopt hybrid work models, managing and protecting user access has become a core security priority. CyberArk is a leader in this space, particularly known for its privileged access management tools that protect sensitive accounts often targeted in breaches.
CyberArk’s acquisition would strengthen Palo Alto Networks’ foothold in a category where it currently lacks scale. PANW has already built out capabilities in endpoint and network security through its Cortex and Prisma platforms. However, identity-driven threat protection has remained a weaker link, an area where competitors like CrowdStrike Holdings, Inc. (CRWD - Free Report) and Okta, Inc. (OKTA - Free Report) have moved more aggressively.
Okta focuses solely on identity, while CrowdStrike is pushing deeper into identity protection with native offerings such as Falcon Identity Threat Protection, Falcon Identity Threat Detection and Falcon Privileged Access. By integrating CyberArk’s capabilities, Palo Alto Networks would be able to deliver a more comprehensive, unified platform that spans cloud, endpoint, network and identity protection.
CYBR Buyout Aligns With PANW’s Platformization Approach
The acquisition of CyberArk aligns with Palo Alto Networks’ “platformization” strategy, which combines network, endpoint and cloud security in one ecosystem. Adding CyberArk would expand that platform into identity, a missing layer that customers now consider essential.
Palo Alto Networks’ platformization approach has been gaining significant traction. In the third quarter of fiscal 2025, the company added more than 90 new platformized deals. This brings the total to around 1,250 platformizations among its top 5,000 accounts. Moreover, customers who use more than one PANW platform grew nearly 70% year over year during the third quarter.
Management believes platformization is key to reaching its $15 billion Next-Gen Security Annual Recurring Revenue target by fiscal 2030, with 60-70% of that total expected to come from platformized customers. With approximately 2% of PANW’s more than 70,000 customers fully platformized, the runway remains wide open.
Conclusion: CYBR’s Addition to Bolster PANW’s Prospects
The potential CyberArk acquisition could give Palo Alto Networks the tools it needs to lead in identity-first security, a fast-growing segment in which rivals like Okta and CrowdStrike are continuously growing their expertise. By combining identity, cloud and endpoint protection, PANW would be better positioned to serve large enterprises looking for broad, integrated solutions.
We believe that the deal, if it materializes, may define Palo Alto Networks’ next chapter in the cybersecurity race.
Palo Alto Networks carries a Zacks Rank #3 (Hold) at present, while CyberArk sports a Zacks Rank #1 (Strong Buy). You can see the complete list of today’s Zacks #1 Rank stocks here.