PANW vs SMCI: Which Is the Better Buy?
Side-by-side comparison of Palo Alto Networks, Inc. and Super Micro Computer, Inc. — fair value, conviction, valuation metrics, and QuantHub research signals.
Updated 2026-05-07.
Palo Alto Networks, Inc. · Technology
$174.41
-0.1% upside to fair value
Grade B
High Quality
VS
Super Micro Computer, Inc. · Technology
$34.66
+45.0% upside to fair value
Grade B
High Quality
QuantHub Verdict
SMCI has more upside to fair value
(+45.0%).
SMCI trades at a lower forward P/E
(11.6x).
These are model outputs — not personalized investment advice.
See all research →
Valuation & Fundamentals
| Metric |
PANW |
SMCI |
| Current Price |
$174.41 |
$34.66 |
| Fair Value Estimate |
$174.18 |
$50.26 |
| Upside to Fair Value |
-0.1%
|
+45.0%
|
| Market Cap |
$118.9B |
$20.8B |
| Forward P/E |
94.6x
|
11.6x
|
| EV / EBITDA |
52.3x
|
17.9x
|
| Price / Sales |
12.0x
|
0.6x
|
| Price / FCF |
29.2x
|
-3.0x
|
| Revenue Growth YoY |
+14.9%
|
+122.7%
|
| Gross Margin |
73.5%
|
8.4%
|
| Operating Margin |
14.4%
|
4.5%
|
| Return on Equity |
15.5%
|
26.0%
|
| Dividend Yield |
0% |
0% |
| FCF Yield |
3.42%
|
—
|
| Analyst Consensus |
Strong Buy
|
Hold
|
Investment Thesis
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…
Super Micro Computer, Inc. is a technology company specializing in server and storage systems, with a dominant 97% revenue share from this segment driven by AI and cloud infrastructure demand. The company benefits from a founder-led management team with deep engineering expertise and strong insider ownership of approximately 46-48%, aligning interests with shareholders. Despite explosive revenue …
Accumulation Zones
| Metric |
PANW |
SMCI |
| Zone Low |
$130.63 |
$37.70 |
| Zone High |
$148.05 |
$42.72 |
| In Buy Zone? |
No
|
Yes
|