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Stock Comparison · Industry comparison · Software - Infrastructure

Palo Alto Networks vs Palantir Technologies: Which Stock Looks Stronger in 2026?

The structural profiles are close, with Palantir Technologies carrying a narrow edge on stability. Palo Alto Networks still has the edge on stability, which keeps the comparison from looking entirely one-sided. In the market, Palo Alto Networks carries the stronger setup — intact trend against Palantir Technologies's broken trend. That leaves a split case: the structural lead stays with Palantir Technologies, but the market is not currently confirming it.

The comparison is based on similar long-term financial trajectories, not sector labels. Both peer scores are relative to the S&P 500 universe, making them directly comparable.

Updated 2026-05-17

Stability points more clearly toward Palo Alto Networks, Inc., even if the broader score still leans toward Palantir Technologies Inc..

INDUSTRY COMPARISON

Both operate in: Software - Infrastructure

This comparison is based on industry proximity, not on functional trajectory similarity. PANW and PLTR share the same industry classification.

For a similarity-based comparison, see how Palo Alto Networks and Palantir Technologies each position within their functional peer groups in AssetNext.

Peer-Relative Score
PANW
Palo Alto Networks, Inc.
49
Peer-Score
Signal qualitylow
Peer basis: S&P 500
vs
PLTR
Palantir Technologies Inc.
50
Peer-Score
Signal qualitylow
Peer basis: S&P 500

Scores reflect position relative to comparable companies with similar long-term financial trajectories.

The clearest separation appears in stability.

Dimension spread: PANW vs PLTR Profitability 66 82 Stability 74 39 Valuation 14 9 Growth 54 74 PANW PLTR
Gap Ranking
#1 Stability +35
#2 Growth +20
#3 Profitability +16
#4 Valuation +5
Price Setup

Left means cheaper relative valuation. Higher means stronger structure.

Price setup map for PANW and PLTR Stronger + cheaper Stronger + richer Weaker + cheaper Weaker + richer PANWPLTR Relative valuation Structural strength

The setup stays mixed because structure and the price setup do not align cleanly in one direction.

Valuation position uses peer-relative PE percentile (idx_pct_pe) where available.

Entry today — historical context

Where PANW and PLTR each sit in their own 5-year price and valuation history.

BASED ON 5-YEAR HISTORY PANW Elevated · above norm 0th 50th 100th 16 pct gap PLTR Elevated · above norm 0th 50th 100th 99th 83rd
Today PLTR sits in the upper portion of its own 5-year history (83rd percentile), while PANW sits higher in its own history (99th). Within each stock's own 5-year context, PLTR is at a historically more favourable entry position than PANW. This reflects entry timing, not which company is structurally stronger — peer-relative analysis is a separate question addressed above.

Describes historical entry positioning only. Descriptive — not investment advice.

Relative Position vs Comparable Companies
Stability
On stability, Palo Alto Networks, Inc. ranks near the top of the group; Palantir Technologies Inc. sits in the weaker half.
Growth
On growth, the edge still sits with Palantir Technologies Inc., even though both profiles look solid.
Stability — Dominant Gap
PANW
74
PLTR
39
Gap+35in favour of PANW

The stability gap is wide, with the stronger side looking materially steadier through time.

What keeps the gap from being one-sided

On the market side, Palo Alto Networks carries the stronger trend while Palantir Technologies's trend has broken — the market setup does not confirm the structural advantage.

What this means for the comparison

Stability is the clearest driver of the lead, with growth adding further support — though stability still provides a real counterweight.

Explore full peer positioning in AssetNext

Break down the PANW vs PLTR comparison across all dimensions with the full interactive tool.

Explore full breakdown →
Other comparisons with conflicting dimension signals

Explore how PANW and PLTR each compare against other companies in their peer groups.

Rule-based, descriptive analysis only. Derived from peer percentile dimensions. Not investment advice. Peer groups are determined algorithmically based on structural similarity — not by sector classification alone.

How AssetNext Peer Scores Work

AssetNext scores reflect each company's structural position within its functional peer group — not a ranking against all stocks simultaneously. Peers are identified by similarity across eight financial dimensions, including revenue growth trajectory, margin structure, capital intensity, and earnings stability. A score of 75 means the company ranks in the top quartile within its own peer group, not the entire market.

Four dimension scores drive the overall peer score: Growth (revenue trajectory and expansion dynamics), Quality (margin structure and capital efficiency), Valuation (peer-relative pricing on standard multiples), and Stability (earnings consistency and financial predictability). Each dimension is scored 0–100 relative to the peer group, then combined into an overall peer score using equal weighting.

Because scores are peer-relative, the same company can have slightly different scores in different index universes. On comparison pages, both companies are shown within their shared peer universe wherever possible — so the scores are directly comparable. The peer basis is stated on each score card.

Scores are recalculated periodically as underlying financial data is updated. All analysis is descriptive and rule-based — AssetNext describes structural realities and never issues buy, sell or hold recommendations.