PANW vs CHKP Stock Comparison: AI Score, Valuation, Performance and Upside
Palo Alto Networks and Check Point are both established network security vendors, but Palo Alto has pursued a more aggressive platform consolidation and growth strategy across network, cloud, and AI-driven security, while Check Point has maintained a more conservative, profitability-focused approach with slower growth but higher margins.
Palo Alto offers faster growth and broader platform ambitions at a premium valuation, while Check Point offers a more profitable, value-oriented cybersecurity holding with a longer legacy but a more gradual platform transition. Consider whether you prefer Palo Alto's growth-oriented platform consolidation strategy or Check Point's steadier, margin-focused approach.
CHKP holds the edge across 3 of 5 key metrics in this comparison. PANW has delivered stronger 1-year price return (+79.15% vs -17.84%), though CHKP has the better forward P/E setup (11.77x vs 90.43x for PANW). On fundamentals, PANW is growing revenue faster (31.10%), while CHKP maintains the higher operating margin (27.48%) — a classic growth-versus-profitability split. Analyst consensus implies meaningfully more upside for CHKP (+10.00%) than for PANW (-2.04%).
Human Wall Street analysts' price targets, typically implying a ~12-month view — a separate signal from this site's own AI Prediction Signal further down the page, which is a 5-/30-day machine-learning forecast based on price history alone.
- Want exposure to a fast-growing, broad cybersecurity platform spanning network, cloud, and AI-driven security
- Believe platform consolidation will keep driving larger, stickier enterprise deals over time
- Are comfortable with near-term billings trade-offs from Palo Alto's platformization bundling strategy
- Prefer a growth-oriented cybersecurity leader over a value-oriented, slower-growing peer
- Prefer a profitability-focused cybersecurity company with high operating margins and strong free cash flow
- Value Check Point's long-standing reputation and deep expertise in network security
- Are comfortable with slower revenue growth in exchange for a more conservative, value-oriented profile
- Believe the Infinity platform and SASE transition can gradually reaccelerate growth over time
| Metric | PANW | CHKP |
|---|---|---|
| AI scorei | 68.0 | 37.7 |
| AI ranki | #27 | #1467 |
| Latest closei | $380.55 | $159.03 |
| 1M returni | -3.24% | +12.66% |
| 3M returni | +17.53% | +21.80% |
| 6M returni | +113.15% | +18.09% |
| 1Y returni | +79.15% | -17.84% |
How much would $10,000 be worth today if invested at the start of each period, with all dividends reinvested?
| Period | PANW | CHKP |
|---|---|---|
| 1Y ago | $17.7K (+77.0%) started 2025-10-23 | $8.22K (-17.8%) started 2025-10-23 |
| 5Y ago | $45.87K (+358.7%) started 2021-10-25 | $13K (+30.0%) started 2021-10-25 |
| 10Y ago | $150.68K (+1406.8%) started 2016-10-24 | $20.29K (+102.9%) started 2016-10-24 |
Hypothetical — past performance does not guarantee future results.
| Metric | PANW | CHKP |
|---|---|---|
| Market capi | $302.85B | $13.58B |
| Trailing P/Ei | 323.12 | 13.64 |
| Forward P/Ei | 90.43 | 11.77 |
| Price/Salesi | 15.00 | N/A |
| EV/Revenuei | 28.46 | 4.89 |
| Analyst targeti | $364.01 | $146.32 |
| Target upsidei | -2.04% | +10.00% |
| Metric | PANW | CHKP |
|---|---|---|
| Revenue growthi | 31.10% | 1.30% |
| Earnings growthi | 60.50% | 1.60% |
| EPS growthi | +60.50% | +1.60% |
| FCF margini | +33.75% | +25.34% |
| Operating margini | -2.46% | 27.48% |
| Profit margini | 7.95% | 37.93% |
| ROIC proxyi | 4.83% | 37.64% |
| Return on equityi | 4.83% | 37.64% |
| Dividend yieldi | N/A | N/A |
| Payout ratioi | 0.00% | 0.00% |
| Dividend growth streaki | N/A | N/A |
| Betai | 0.89 | 0.49 |
| Debt/equityi | 7.70 | 72.15 |
| Current ratioi | 0.86 | 1.67 |
| Quick ratioi | 0.73 | 1.58 |
Over the past year, PANW and CHKP have moved moderately in the same direction (correlation of 0.42), based on daily returns.
Lower drawdown and smaller single-period drops generally indicate a smoother ride, though they do not guarantee lower future risk.
| Period | Metric | PANW | CHKP |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1Y | Growthi | +76.98% | -17.84% |
| CAGRi | +77.13% | -17.85% | |
| Volatilityi | 49.54% | 40.59% | |
| Sharpe ratioi | 1.31 | -0.39 | |
| Sortino ratioi | 2.08 | -0.49 | |
| Max drawdowni | 36.01% | 44.97% | |
| Current drawdowni | 9.37% | 22.19% | |
| Avg drawdowni | 12.67% | 25.48% | |
| Ulcer Indexi | 15.99% | 28.58% | |
| Max daily dropi | 9.28% | 19.64% | |
| Max wkly dropi | 18.33% | 18.36% | |
| 5Y | Growthi | +358.71% | +29.96% |
| CAGRi | +35.66% | +5.39% | |
| Volatilityi | 43.52% | 29.23% | |
| Sharpe ratioi | 0.82 | 0.18 | |
| Sortino ratioi | 1.19 | 0.23 | |
| Max drawdowni | 36.01% | 51.83% | |
| Current drawdowni | 9.37% | 31.88% | |
| Avg drawdowni | 11.43% | 14.46% | |
| Ulcer Indexi | 14.46% | 19.37% | |
| Max daily dropi | 28.44% | 19.64% | |
| Max wkly dropi | 28.86% | 18.36% | |
| 10Y | Growthi | +1406.83% | +102.90% |
| CAGRi | +31.17% | +7.33% | |
| Volatilityi | 39.82% | 26.89% | |
| Sharpe ratioi | 0.77 | 0.23 | |
| Sortino ratioi | 1.11 | 0.31 | |
| Max drawdowni | 47.98% | 51.83% | |
| Current drawdowni | 9.37% | 31.88% | |
| Avg drawdowni | 11.38% | 12.53% | |
| Ulcer Indexi | 14.58% | 16.28% | |
| Max daily dropi | 28.44% | 19.64% | |
| Max wkly dropi | 28.86% | 18.42% |
| Category | PANW | CHKP |
|---|---|---|
| Company | Palo Alto Networks, Inc. | Check Point Software Technologies Ltd. |
| Sector | Technology | Technology |
| Industry | Software - Infrastructure | Software - Infrastructure |
| Core business | Provides a broad cybersecurity platform spanning network security firewalls, cloud security, and AI-driven security operations (SecOps), pursuing a platform consolidation strategy to bundle multiple security functions. | Provides network security, cloud security, and endpoint protection software, historically known for its firewall technology, transitioning toward a broader security platform (Infinity) with growing SASE and cloud offerings. |
| Investor focus | Platformization progress (customers consolidating multiple point products onto Palo Alto's platform), next-generation security ARR growth, and free cash flow margin. | Security subscription revenue growth, Infinity platform adoption, and margin/profitability, given Check Point's historically conservative, profitability-first approach. |
- Platform consolidation strategy encourages large enterprises to bundle multiple security products, deepening customer relationships
- Strong position across network security, cloud security, and AI-driven SecOps gives broad coverage of enterprise security needs
- Consistently strong free cash flow generation funding continued platform investment and M&A
- Long-standing reputation and deep expertise in network security with a large, loyal enterprise customer base
- High operating margins and strong free cash flow generation relative to many growth-focused cybersecurity peers
- Growing Infinity platform and SASE offerings aim to modernize its product portfolio for cloud-first customers
- Platformization strategy involves near-term revenue trade-offs (bundling/discounting) that can pressure billings growth optics
- Faces competition from both point-solution specialists and other platform consolidators like Cloudflare and Fortinet
- Integration risk from its active acquisition strategy to build out platform capabilities
- Revenue growth has historically been slower than newer, faster-growing cybersecurity platform competitors
- Perceived as playing catch-up in cloud security and SASE relative to more cloud-native competitors
- Product transition execution risk as it shifts from legacy firewall appliances toward subscription-based platform revenue
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