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Palo Alto Stock Price Guide: How to Trade Palo Alto Networks

Date Modified: 20/10/2024

Palo Alto Networks, a leader in cybersecurity, can be accessed by utilising multiple avenues to engage with its stock, including traditional trading and CFD trading. Understanding the complexities of its stock price dynamics and the different trading options is crucial for informed decision-making. Let’s explore more about Palo Alto trading:

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TL;DR

  • Company Overview: Palo Alto Networks is a leading cybersecurity firm known for its advanced security solutions and significant presence in the global market. It counts among its clients and partners over 70,000 organisations worldwide.

  • CFD Trading: CFD trading on Palo Alto Networks shares allows investors to speculate on price movements without owning the actual shares. This offers the potential for gains and losses, particularly in volatile markets.

  • Key Information: The article below covers essential analysis methods—fundamental, technical, and sentiment analysis—each providing insights into stock price dynamics and helping traders make informed decisions.

What Is Palo Alto?

Palo Alto Networks (PANW) is a leading American multinational cybersecurity firm headquartered in Santa Clara, California. The company specialises in providing advanced security solutions, with its core product being a platform that integrates cutting-edge firewalls and cloud-based services to enhance overall security. Serving over 70,000 organisations across more than 150 countries, including 85 of the companies listed on the Fortune 100, Palo Alto Networks is a significant player in the cybersecurity industry.

Founded in 2005 by Nir Zuk, a former engineer at CheckPoint and NetScreen Technologies, the company quickly established itself as a leader in the field. In 2011, Gartner recognised Palo Alto Networks as a leader in its Magic Quadrant for Network Firewalls, a market research report focused on specific industries.

The company went public on the New York Stock Exchange in 2012, raising $260 million in its initial public offering (IPO). Over the years, Palo Alto Networks has expanded its offerings to include services such as endpoint protection, malware prevention, and AI-driven security platforms like Cortex.

Palo Alto’s Stock Price History

Since its 2012 IPO, Palo Alto Networks has seen several fluctuations in its stock price, influenced by both company performance and broader macroeconomic factors. Initially, the stock experienced steady growth, driven by the company's rapid expansion in the cybersecurity sector. By 2014, the stock price had nearly doubled, reflecting investor confidence in the company's future.

However, fluctuations became more pronounced in the following years. For instance, in 2016, the stock saw a significant decline, closing the year with a 29.01% drop. This was largely due to concerns over slowing revenue growth and increased competition in the cybersecurity market. Despite this setback, the company rebounded in 2017 and 2018, with annual gains of 15.91% and 29.95%, respectively. This recovery was fueled by the introduction of new products and services, such as endpoint protection and AI-driven security solutions, which reinvigorated investor interest.

The years 2020 and 2021 were marked by substantial growth, with the stock rising 53.68% and 56.66%, respectively. These gains were partly due to increased demand for cybersecurity solutions amid the COVID-19 pandemic, which accelerated digital transformation and heightened the need for robust security measures.

For those engaging in share CFD trading, understanding these historical trends and the macroeconomic events that influenced them is essential. The stock’s past volatility highlights the importance of staying informed about company-specific developments and larger economic conditions to make informed trading decisions.

What Are Palo Alto Shares?

Palo Alto Networks’ common shares have been publicly traded on the Nasdaq since October 2021, following a transfer from the NYSE, where the company was initially listed. For investors, it’s important to distinguish between owning (or investing in) traditional Palo Alto Networks shares and trading CFDs on these shares.

When you buy traditional Palo Alto Networks shares, you purchase a portion of the company’s equity. This gives you a stake in the company and grants you voting rights in corporate decisions and the possibility of receiving dividends, depending on the company’s financial performance and shareholders agreement. The share price is influenced by various factors, including the company’s earnings, market conditions, and overall economic trends.

On the other hand, trading Palo Alto Networks share CFDs involves speculating on the price movements of the shares without actually owning them. CFD traders can speculate on the underlying share's value trajectory by taking long or short positions. A significant feature of CFD trading is leverage, which allows you to control a larger position with a smaller amount of capital. Still, it also increases the risk of significant losses. Unlike traditional shareholders, those trading CFDs don’t own the actual shares and, therefore, don’t have voting rights or the opportunity to earn dividends.

Factors Affecting Palo Alto’s Stock Price

The complex combination of market influences that can drive Palo Alto’s share price up and down are crucial to understand for those looking to trade overlying CFDs. Let’s take a look at five of the main factors that may impact Palo Alto shares' price movements:

  • Strong Demand Growth: Palo Alto Networks benefits from increasing cybersecurity threats, which drive consistent product demand. As of 2024, the cybersecurity market as a whole is expected to grow by 10% to 12% annually, positioning this company well for continued expansion.

  • Competitive Advantage and Market Position: Palo Alto Networks holds a competitive edge with its broad product portfolio and industry recognition. Its established reputation and large data sets provide a strong economic moat, making it difficult for customers to switch to competitors.

  • Consistent Financial Growth: Despite a slowing growth rate due to macroeconomic factors, Palo Alto Networks continues to deliver steady revenue and free cash flow growth. The company has recently become profitable according to generally accepted accounting principles (GAAP), with a forecasted 20% revenue growth moving forward as of spring 2024.

  • Operational Efficiency and Valuation: Palo Alto Networks maintains impressive operational efficiency with a high gross margin and return on invested capital (ROIC). While its valuation ratios are not cheap, they are considered reasonable given the company's projected growth, making the stock a potential long-term investment.

  • Economic Trends: Palo Alto Networks’ bottom line can also feel the impact of factors common to all economic sectors, such as high inflation, interest rate increases instituted by national governments, and more.

Palo Alto’s Trading Hours

Shares of stock in Palo Alto Networks are listed on the Nasdaq and generally traded from 9:30 AM to 4:00 PM, Eastern Standard Time.

For those looking to trade Palo Alto share CFDs, Plus500 offers trading on weekdays from 10:30 PM CET until 10:00 PM CET.

Remember that trading hours can differ depending on the broker or CFD trading platform you are using.

Palo Alto Networks: Share Analysis

Palo Alto Networks' stock price dynamics are complex, and several different methods can be interwoven for CFD traders to get a better feel of factors that can influence the underlying shares’ movements. Let’s take a look at a few of these:

Fundamental Analysis

  • Economic Environment: Analyse broader industry trends, macroeconomic data, and other external factors to understand how they might impact Palo Alto Networks’ performance.

  • Financial Performance: Assess the company's financial health, review publicly available financial data, such as reports released during earnings season, balance sheets, and cash flow statements.

  • Competitive Landscape: Evaluate Palo Alto Networks's competition such as market share, product offerings, and strategic initiatives within the cybersecurity industry among other matters.

Technical Analysis

  • Price Trends: Study Palo Alto Networks’ stock charts to analyse short or long-term trends (among other matters) to help predict potential future price movements.

  • Technical Indicators: Utilise tools like moving averages, the Relative Strength Index (RSI), and the Stochastic Oscillator to gain insights into past price trends, with the aim to try to identify overbought or oversold conditions.

Sentiment Analysis

  • Market Sentiment: Monitor overall market trends and investor sentiment to predict potential shifts in investors' perceptions of Palo Alto Networks.

  • Media and Analyst Impact: Stay updated with financial news, analyst reports, and industry commentary related to Palo Alto Networks to gauge how these factors influence market perception and investor decisions.

Trading Palo Alto Networks Shares

Those interested in trading Palo Alto Networks shares have two primary options: traditional stock trading and CFD (Contract for Difference) trading. Each method caters to different investment goals and carries its own set of risks and rewards.

Traditional Stock Trading

For long-term investors, buying and selling Palo Alto Networks shares directly through a stock exchange is a common approach. When you purchase these shares, you gain partial ownership of the company, which may entitle you to dividends and/or capital appreciation over time. This strategy typically involves buying shares at a given price, holding them as the company grows and gains positive market sentiment, and hopefully selling them at a higher price to realise a profit.

CFD Trading on Palo Alto Networks Shares

Alternatively, CFD trading allows investors to speculate on the price movements of Palo Alto Networks shares without owning the underlying asset. CFDs are, in essence, a type of financial derivative that tracks the price of a security, offering the flexibility to speculate on both bullish and bearish market movements via long or short positions. This approach is used by many traders looking for shorter-term opportunities, albeit not exclusively. CFDs also offer leverage, enabling traders to control larger positions with a smaller initial investment. However, this leverage can amplify potential gains and losses, making CFD trading significantly riskier, especially in volatile markets.

Given the risks associated with CFD trading, particularly when using leverage, it is crucial to implement clearly defined risk management strategies. These may include setting stop-loss orders and closely monitoring leveraged positions to prevent losses from exceeding one's clearly defined initial investment strategy.

Steps to Trade Palo Alto Networks Share CFDs

  • Learn: Utilise resources, like the Plus500 Beginners’ Guide, to learn about CFD trading mechanics, strategies, and risks.

  • Get Started: Take time to practise by utilising our free unlimited demo. Then, open an account on the Plus500 trading platform, complete the necessary verification processes, and make an initial deposit to begin trading.

  • Jump Into Trading: Find Palo Alto shares CFDs on our platform and use fundamental and technical analysis to judge market conditions and make informed decisions on whether to make a buy or sell order on Palo Alto Networks share CFDs.

  • Stay Updated: Regularly review market conditions and adjust your trading strategy to stay in tune with market trends.

Conclusion

Trading Palo Alto Networks shares through traditional methods or CFDs requires a solid understanding of various analysis techniques and market trends. By integrating fundamental, technical, and sentiment analysis, investors can better navigate the complexities of this prominent cybersecurity stock and make more informed trading decisions.

FAQs

Palo Alto Networks' stock price is influenced by company performance, industry competition, macroeconomic conditions, and overall market sentiment.

You can trade Palo Alto Networks shares through traditional stock trading or using CFDs to speculate on price movements without owning the actual shares.

Owning Palo Alto Networks shares gives you equity in the company and voting rights while trading CFDs allows for speculation on share prices with potential leverage, and thus greater risk, but without actual ownership.

Understanding Palo Alto Networks' stock price trends helps CFD traders make informed decisions, manage risk, and capture market movements.

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