• Home
  • Latest
  • Fortune 500
  • Finance
  • Tech
  • Leadership
  • Lifestyle
  • Rankings
  • Multimedia
TechPalo Alto Networks

Palo Alto Networks Shares Soar On Upbeat Forecast

By
Reuters
Reuters
Down Arrow Button Icon
By
Reuters
Reuters
Down Arrow Button Icon
May 31, 2017, 4:59 PM ET
Key Speakers At Bloomberg's The Next Big Thing Summit
Mark McLaughlin, chairman, president and chief executive officer of Palo Alto Networks Inc., speaks during the Bloomberg Next Big Thing Summit in Half Moon Bay, California, U.S., on Monday, June 17, 2013.The summit convenes investors and entrepreneurs in technology, science and data to examine the future of technology, business and how innovation is changing the human experience. Photographer: David Paul Morris/Bloomberg via Getty Images Photographer: David Paul Morris/Bloomberg via Getty ImagesDavid Paul Morris—Bloomberg Bloomberg via Getty Images

Cybersecurity company Palo Alto Networks reported a better-than-expected adjusted profit for the third quarter and gave an upbeat forecast for the current quarter, as it added a near-record number of customers.

The company’s shares rose nearly 12% in extended trading on Wednesday.

“We reported record revenue … in our fiscal third quarter and added the second highest number of new customers in the company’s history,” Chief Executive Mark McLaughlin said in a statement.

The latest report follow a disappointing second-quarter report in February, which Palo Alto blamed on “some execution challenges” that were identified by analysts as disruption in the company’s salesforce and low demand for its newer products.

Palo Alto, whose customers include enterprises and government bodies, said revenue rose 25% to $431.8 million in the three month ended April 30.

Get Data Sheet, Fortune’s technology newsletter.

The company’s net loss narrowed to $60.9 million from $64.1 million a year earlier. On an adjusted basis it earned 61 cents per share.

Analysts on average were expecting earning of 55 cents per share on revenue of about $412 million, according to Thomson Reuters I/B/E/S.

Services revenue, including that from contract-based subscriptions, surged nearly 46% to about $268 million, or roughly 62% of total revenue.

For more about cybersecurity, watch:

The company forecast an adjusted profit of 78-80 cents per share for the current quarter, and revenue of $481-$491 million.

Analysts were expecting a profit of 74 cents per share and revenue of about $484 million.

” … Guiding revenue in line with the Street is the prudent thing to do and could set the stage for better results for Q4,” Matt Hedberg, an analyst with RBC Capital Markets, told Reuters.

Palo Alto’s shares (PANW) were up 11.6% at $132.39 in trading after the bell.

About the Author
By Reuters
See full bioRight Arrow Button Icon

Latest in Tech

robots
InnovationRobots
‘The question is really just how long it will take’: Over 2,000 gather at Humanoids Summit to meet the robots who may take their jobs someday
By Matt O'Brien and The Associated PressDecember 12, 2025
8 hours ago
Man about to go into police vehicle
CryptoCryptocurrency
Judge tells notorious crypto scammer ‘you have been bitten by the crypto bug’ in handing down 15 year sentence 
By Carlos GarciaDecember 12, 2025
9 hours ago
three men in suits, one gesturing
AIBrainstorm AI
The fastest athletes in the world can botch a baton pass if trust isn’t there—and the same is true of AI, Blackbaud exec says
By Amanda GerutDecember 12, 2025
9 hours ago
Brainstorm AI panel
AIBrainstorm AI
Creative workers won’t be replaced by AI—but their roles will change to become ‘directors’ managing AI agents, executives say
By Beatrice NolanDecember 12, 2025
9 hours ago
Fei-Fei Li, the "Godmother of AI," says she values AI skills more than college degrees when hiring software engineers for her tech startup.
AITech
‘Godmother of AI’ says degrees are less important in hiring than how quickly you can ‘superpower yourself’ with new tools
By Nino PaoliDecember 12, 2025
12 hours ago
C-SuiteFortune 500 Power Moves
Fortune 500 Power Moves: Which executives gained and lost power this week
By Fortune EditorsDecember 12, 2025
12 hours ago

Most Popular

placeholder alt text
Economy
Tariffs are taxes and they were used to finance the federal government until the 1913 income tax. A top economist breaks it down
By Kent JonesDecember 12, 2025
17 hours ago
placeholder alt text
Success
At 18, doctors gave him three hours to live. He played video games from his hospital bed—and now, he’s built a $10 million-a-year video game studio
By Preston ForeDecember 10, 2025
3 days ago
placeholder alt text
Success
Palantir cofounder calls elite college undergrads a ‘loser generation’ as data reveals rise in students seeking support for disabilities, like ADHD
By Preston ForeDecember 11, 2025
2 days ago
placeholder alt text
Success
Apple cofounder Ronald Wayne sold his 10% stake for $800 in 1976—today it’d be worth up to $400 billion
By Preston ForeDecember 12, 2025
13 hours ago
placeholder alt text
Success
40% of Stanford undergrads receive disability accommodations—but it’s become a college-wide phenomenon as Gen Z try to succeed in the current climate
By Preston ForeDecember 12, 2025
13 hours ago
placeholder alt text
Arts & Entertainment
'We're not just going to want to be fed AI slop for 16 hours a day': Analyst sees Disney/OpenAI deal as a dividing line in entertainment history
By Nick LichtenbergDecember 11, 2025
1 day ago
Rankings
  • 100 Best Companies
  • Fortune 500
  • Global 500
  • Fortune 500 Europe
  • Most Powerful Women
  • Future 50
  • World’s Most Admired Companies
  • See All Rankings
Sections
  • Finance
  • Leadership
  • Success
  • Tech
  • Asia
  • Europe
  • Environment
  • Fortune Crypto
  • Health
  • Retail
  • Lifestyle
  • Politics
  • Newsletters
  • Magazine
  • Features
  • Commentary
  • Mpw
  • CEO Initiative
  • Conferences
  • Personal Finance
  • Education
Customer Support
  • Frequently Asked Questions
  • Customer Service Portal
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms Of Use
  • Single Issues For Purchase
  • International Print
Commercial Services
  • Advertising
  • Fortune Brand Studio
  • Fortune Analytics
  • Fortune Conferences
  • Business Development
About Us
  • About Us
  • Editorial Calendar
  • Press Center
  • Work At Fortune
  • Diversity And Inclusion
  • Terms And Conditions
  • Site Map

© 2025 Fortune Media IP Limited. All Rights Reserved. Use of this site constitutes acceptance of our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy | CA Notice at Collection and Privacy Notice | Do Not Sell/Share My Personal Information
FORTUNE is a trademark of Fortune Media IP Limited, registered in the U.S. and other countries. FORTUNE may receive compensation for some links to products and services on this website. Offers may be subject to change without notice.