NKE vs PANW: Which Is the Better Buy?

Side-by-side comparison of NIKE, Inc. and Palo Alto Networks, Inc. — fair value, conviction, valuation metrics, and QuantHub research signals. Updated 2026-04-24.
NIKE, Inc. · Consumer Cyclical
$42.62
+38.4% 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
NKE has more upside to fair value (+38.4%). NKE trades at a lower forward P/E (27.9x). These are model outputs — not personalized investment advice. See all research →
Valuation & Fundamentals
Metric NKE PANW
Current Price $42.62 $174.41
Fair Value Estimate $58.98 $174.18
Upside to Fair Value +38.4% -0.1%
Market Cap $63.0B $118.9B
Forward P/E 27.9x 94.6x
EV / EBITDA 20.7x 52.3x
Price / Sales 1.4x 12.0x
Price / FCF 19.4x 29.2x
Revenue Growth YoY -9.8% +14.9%
Gross Margin 42.7% 73.5%
Operating Margin 8.0% 14.4%
Return on Equity 24.4% 15.5%
Dividend Yield 3.8% 0%
FCF Yield 5.2% 3.42%
Analyst Consensus Buy Strong Buy
Investment Thesis
NKE — NIKE, Inc.
Nike is the world's largest athletic footwear and apparel company with $46.3B in FY2025 revenue, operating across 190+ countries with the Nike, Jordan, and Converse brands. The stock trades near its 9-year low at $42.62 after an 11% single-day crash following a Q3 FY2026 earnings report that showed 35% net income decline and weak Q4 guidance calling for a further 2-4% revenue decline. FY2025 reve…
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 NKE PANW
Zone Low $44.23 $130.63
Zone High $50.13 $148.05
In Buy Zone? Yes No
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