HD vs PANW: Which Is the Better Buy?

Side-by-side comparison of The Home Depot, Inc. and Palo Alto Networks, Inc. — fair value, conviction, valuation metrics, and QuantHub research signals. Updated 2026-05-20.
The Home Depot, Inc. · Consumer Cyclical
$302.44
+22.0% upside to fair value
Med Conviction Grade B+
VS
Palo Alto Networks, Inc. · Technology
$174.41
-0.1% upside to fair value
Grade B High Quality
QuantHub Verdict
HD has more upside to fair value (+22.0%). HD trades at a lower forward P/E (20.5x). These are model outputs — not personalized investment advice. See all research →
Valuation & Fundamentals
Metric HD PANW
Current Price $302.44 $174.41
Fair Value Estimate $369.00 $174.18
Upside to Fair Value +22.0% -0.1%
Market Cap $301.2B $118.9B
Forward P/E 20.5x 94.6x
EV / EBITDA 16.5x 52.3x
Price / Sales 2.0x 12.0x
Price / FCF 26.6x 29.2x
Revenue Growth YoY +4.8% +14.9%
Gross Margin 33.3% 73.5%
Operating Margin 12.7% 14.4%
Return on Equity 110.5% 15.5%
Dividend Yield 2.72% 0%
FCF Yield 3.75% 3.42%
Analyst Consensus Buy Strong Buy
Investment Thesis
HD — The Home Depot, Inc.
Home Depot remains the world's largest home improvement retailer with 2,350+ stores, dominant 52% market share, and an expanding Pro contractor segment bolstered by the SRS Distribution acquisition. Q1 FY2026 results released May 19 beat both the top and bottom line, with revenue of $41.77B up 4.8% year over year and adjusted EPS of $3.43 versus the $3.41 consensus. Comp sales grew only 0.6% howe…
PANW — Palo Alto Networks, Inc.
Palo Alto Networks, Inc. is a leading global cybersecurity company specializing in AI-driven security platforms with a strong recurring revenue base exceeding 80% of total revenue. The company benefits from a high gross margin of 73.5% and solid profitability with a net margin of 13.0%, supported by accelerating revenue growth of 14.9% and earnings growth of 61.6% in the most recent quarter. Unde…
Accumulation Zones
Metric HD PANW
Zone Low $276.75 $130.63
Zone High $313.65 $148.05
In Buy Zone? Yes No
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