CRWD vs. PANW: CrowdStrike vs. Palo Alto Networks Stock Comparison
How do CrowdStrike (CRWD) and Palo Alto Networks (PANW) stack up? This page sets them side by side across company profile, performance and risk, profitability, growth, financial strength, dividends, and valuation, with selected fundamentals also measured against each stock's industry-group peers.
Company Profile
CrowdStrike (CRWD) and Palo Alto Networks (PANW) are both classified in the Systems Software sub-industry within the broader Software industry, placing them in the closest GICS peer bucket.
| Profile Item | CRWD | PANW |
|---|---|---|
| Name | CrowdStrike Holdings, Inc. Class A Common Stock | Palo Alto Networks Inc. |
| Country/Region | United States | United States |
| GICS Sector | Information Technology | Information Technology |
| GICS Industry Group | Software & Services | Software & Services |
| GICS Industry | Software | Software |
| GICS Sub-Industry | Systems Software | Systems Software |
| Market Capitalization | 223.63 billion USD | 302.85 billion USD |
| Currency | USD | USD |
| Exchange | Nasdaq | Nasdaq |
| Listing Date | June 12, 2019 | July 20, 2012 |
| Security Type | Common Stock | Common Stock |
Price Performance
Cumulative Growth
Trailing Returns
Calendar-Year Returns
Performance Metrics
| Metric | CRWD | PANW |
|---|---|---|
| Total Return (1Y) | 115.76% | 104.07% |
| Total Return (3Y, Annualized) | 82.68% | 49.15% |
| Total Return (5Y, Annualized) | 26.43% | 37.86% |
Risk Profile
Drawdown History
Return Distribution
Risk Metrics
| Metric | CRWD | PANW |
|---|---|---|
| Volatility (1Y, Annualized) | 53.01% | 43.74% |
| Beta (5Y) | 1.26 | 0.91 |
| Max Drawdown (5Y) | -67.69% | -36.01% |
| Avg. Volume (3M) | 10.86M | 7.21M |
Risk-Adjusted Performance
Risk-Return Positioning
Risk-Adjusted Metrics
| Metric | CRWD | PANW |
|---|---|---|
| Sharpe Ratio (1Y) | 2.11 | 2.29 |
| Sortino Ratio (1Y) | 3.56 | 3.72 |
Profitability
ROE (TTM)
Both CrowdStrike (CRWD) at 1.46% and Palo Alto Networks (PANW) at 4.83% land near their industries’ usual ROE ranges, so capital efficiency looks broadly in line with peers on both sides.
CRWD
Software & Services industry group
1.46%
- Max
- 62.95%
- Q3
- 17.61%
- Median
- 5.22%
- CRWD
- 1.46%
- Q1
- -14.02%
- Min
- -54.87%
PANW
Software & Services industry group
4.83%
- Max
- 62.95%
- Q3
- 17.61%
- Median
- 5.22%
- PANW
- 4.83%
- Q1
- -14.02%
- Min
- -54.87%
Net Margin (TTM)
Both CrowdStrike (CRWD) at 0.83% and Palo Alto Networks (PANW) at 7.95% keep about the typical share of revenue as profit for their industries — neither bottom line stands out from peers.
CRWD
Software & Services industry group
0.83%
- Max
- 41.43%
- Q3
- 14.96%
- Median
- 3.57%
- CRWD
- 0.83%
- Q1
- -6.01%
- Min
- -35.38%
PANW
Software & Services industry group
7.95%
- Max
- 41.43%
- Q3
- 14.96%
- PANW
- 7.95%
- Median
- 3.57%
- Q1
- -6.01%
- Min
- -35.38%
Operating Margin (TTM)
Both CrowdStrike (CRWD) at -2.26% and Palo Alto Networks (PANW) at -2.47% report negative operating margin values, usually indicating operating losses over the period.
CRWD
Software & Services industry group
-2.26%
- Max
- 47.12%
- Q3
- 15.04%
- Median
- 4.79%
- CRWD
- -2.26%
- Q1
- -6.90%
- Min
- -32.77%
PANW
Software & Services industry group
-2.47%
- Max
- 47.12%
- Q3
- 15.04%
- Median
- 4.79%
- PANW
- -2.47%
- Q1
- -6.90%
- Min
- -32.77%
Profitability Metrics
| Metric | CRWD | PANW |
|---|---|---|
| ROE (TTM) | 1.46% | 4.83% |
| ROA (TTM) | -0.78% | 1.77% |
| Net Margin (TTM) | 0.83% | 7.95% |
| Operating Margin (TTM) | -2.26% | -2.47% |
| Gross Margin (TTM) | 75.19% | 71.96% |
Growth
Revenue Growth
Both CrowdStrike (CRWD) at 21.71% and Palo Alto Networks (PANW) at 14.87% land near their industries' usual revenue growth ranges, so top-line momentum looks broadly in line with peers on both sides.
EPS Growth
Only one side can be read here: Palo Alto Networks (PANW) reports EPS growth of -56.04%, ranked against its industry; CrowdStrike (CRWD) has no EPS growth figure this period.
Growth Metrics
| Metric | CRWD | PANW |
|---|---|---|
| Revenue Growth (YoY) | 21.71% | 14.87% |
| Revenue Growth (3Y CAGR) | 29.01% | 18.79% |
| EPS Growth (YoY) | -- | -56.04% |
| EPS Growth (3Y CAGR) | -- | -- |
Financial Strength
Current Ratio (MRQ)
CrowdStrike (CRWD) at 1.57 keeps current ratio within its industry’s typical mid-range, while Palo Alto Networks (PANW) at 0.86 runs in the tighter-liquidity quartile — a thinner cushion against current liabilities for PANW.
CRWD
Software & Services industry group
1.57
- Max
- 5.39
- Q3
- 2.83
- Median
- 1.63
- CRWD
- 1.57
- Q1
- 1.02
- Min
- 0.03
PANW
Software & Services industry group
0.86
- Max
- 5.39
- Q3
- 2.83
- Median
- 1.63
- Q1
- 1.02
- PANW
- 0.86
- Min
- 0.03
Debt / Equity (MRQ)
Both CrowdStrike (CRWD) at 0.16 and Palo Alto Networks (PANW) at 0.08 fund their balance sheets with roughly industry-typical debt-to-equity mixes.
CRWD
Software & Services industry group
0.16
- Max
- 2.62
- Q3
- 1.10
- Median
- 0.35
- CRWD
- 0.16
- Q1
- 0.06
- Min
- 0.00
PANW
Software & Services industry group
0.08
- Max
- 2.62
- Q3
- 1.10
- Median
- 0.35
- PANW
- 0.08
- Q1
- 0.06
- Min
- 0.00
Financial Strength Metrics
| Metric | CRWD | PANW |
|---|---|---|
| Current Ratio (MRQ) | 1.57 | 0.86 |
| Debt / Equity (MRQ) | 0.16 | 0.08 |
| Net Debt / EBITDA | -39.24 | -0.66 |
Dividends
Dividend Yield (TTM)
Neither CrowdStrike (CRWD) nor Palo Alto Networks (PANW) pays a dividend this period — they may reinvest, use buybacks, or simply not return cash through dividends.
CRWD
Software & Services industry group
0.00%
- CRWD
- 0.00%
- Max
- 0.00%
- Q3
- 0.00%
- Median
- 0.00%
- Q1
- 0.00%
- Min
- 0.00%
PANW
Software & Services industry group
0.00%
- PANW
- 0.00%
- Max
- 0.00%
- Q3
- 0.00%
- Median
- 0.00%
- Q1
- 0.00%
- Min
- 0.00%
Dividend Payout Ratio (TTM)
Neither CrowdStrike (CRWD) nor Palo Alto Networks (PANW) pays a dividend this period — they may reinvest, use buybacks, or simply not return cash through dividends.
CRWD
Software & Services industry group
0.00%
- CRWD
- 0.00%
- Max
- 0.00%
- Q3
- 0.00%
- Median
- 0.00%
- Q1
- 0.00%
- Min
- 0.00%
PANW
Software & Services industry group
0.00%
- PANW
- 0.00%
- Max
- 0.00%
- Q3
- 0.00%
- Median
- 0.00%
- Q1
- 0.00%
- Min
- 0.00%
Dividend Metrics
| Metric | CRWD | PANW |
|---|---|---|
| Dividend Yield (TTM) | 0.00% | 0.00% |
| Dividend Payout Ratio (TTM) | 0.00% | 0.00% |
Valuation
P/E Ratio (TTM)
Both CrowdStrike (CRWD) at 5,460.00 and Palo Alto Networks (PANW) at 323.12 trade above their industries’ P/E ratio peer ranges, pointing to unusually expensive trailing earnings relative to peers.
CRWD
Software & Services industry group
5,460.00
- CRWD
- 5,460.00
- Max
- 108.92
- Q3
- 61.11
- Median
- 32.56
- Q1
- 17.02
- Min
- 0.37
PANW
Software & Services industry group
323.12
- PANW
- 323.12
- Max
- 108.92
- Q3
- 61.11
- Median
- 32.56
- Q1
- 17.02
- Min
- 0.37
P/S Ratio (TTM)
Investors are paying well above the peer range per dollar of sales for both CrowdStrike (CRWD) at 41.44 and Palo Alto Networks (PANW) at 28.55 — each P/S ratio clears its industry’s benchmark range.
CRWD
Software & Services industry group
41.44
- CRWD
- 41.44
- Max
- 21.94
- Q3
- 10.45
- Median
- 4.83
- Q1
- 2.40
- Min
- 0.02
PANW
Software & Services industry group
28.55
- PANW
- 28.55
- Max
- 21.94
- Q3
- 10.45
- Median
- 4.83
- Q1
- 2.40
- Min
- 0.02
P/B Ratio (MRQ)
Both look rich against book: Palo Alto Networks (PANW) at 10.92 sits in the upper P/B ratio quartile, and CrowdStrike (CRWD) at 47.99 prices even higher, above its industry range.
CRWD
Software & Services industry group
47.99
- CRWD
- 47.99
- Max
- 20.97
- Q3
- 10.12
- Median
- 4.90
- Q1
- 2.09
- Min
- -9.52
PANW
Software & Services industry group
10.92
- Max
- 20.97
- PANW
- 10.92
- Q3
- 10.12
- Median
- 4.90
- Q1
- 2.09
- Min
- -9.52
Valuation Metrics
| Metric | CRWD | PANW |
|---|---|---|
| P/E Ratio (TTM) | 5,460.00 | 323.12 |
| P/S Ratio (TTM) | 41.44 | 28.55 |
| P/B Ratio (MRQ) | 47.99 | 10.92 |
| Free Cash Flow Yield (TTM) | 0.89% | 1.18% |