PANW vs. SNOW: Palo Alto Networks vs. Snowflake Stock Comparison
How do Palo Alto Networks (PANW) and Snowflake (SNOW) 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
Palo Alto Networks (PANW) and Snowflake (SNOW) both fall under the Software & Services industry group, but PANW is classified in Software while SNOW is classified in IT Services.
| Profile Item | PANW | SNOW |
|---|---|---|
| Name | Palo Alto Networks, Inc. | Snowflake Inc. Common Stock |
| Country/Region | United States | United States |
| GICS Sector | Information Technology | Information Technology |
| GICS Industry Group | Software & Services | Software & Services |
| GICS Industry | Software | IT Services |
| GICS Sub-Industry | Systems Software | Internet Services & Infrastructure |
| Market Capitalization | 256.86 billion USD | 97.33 billion USD |
| Currency | USD | USD |
| Exchange | Nasdaq | NYSE |
| Listing Date | July 20, 2012 | September 16, 2020 |
| Security Type | Common Stock | Common Stock |
Price Performance
Cumulative Growth
Trailing Returns
Calendar-Year Returns
Performance Metrics
| Metric | PANW | SNOW |
|---|---|---|
| Total Return (1Y) | 53.99% | 10.92% |
| Total Return (3Y, Annualized) | 39.16% | 23.09% |
| Total Return (5Y, Annualized) | 30.80% | -5.00% |
Risk Profile
Drawdown History
Return Distribution
Risk Metrics
| Metric | PANW | SNOW |
|---|---|---|
| Volatility (1Y, Annualized) | 51.34% | 67.14% |
| Beta (5Y) | 1.00 | 1.33 |
| Max Drawdown (5Y) | -36.01% | -72.99% |
| Avg. Volume (3M) | 6.03M | 4.67M |
Risk-Adjusted Performance
Risk-Return Positioning
Risk-Adjusted Metrics
| Metric | PANW | SNOW |
|---|---|---|
| Sharpe Ratio (1Y) | 0.97 | 0.10 |
| Sortino Ratio (1Y) | 1.49 | 0.17 |
Profitability
ROE (TTM)
Snowflake (SNOW) reports a negative ROE of -48.06%; negative ROE can reflect losses or negative shareholders’ equity, so it is harder to read as capital efficiency. Meanwhile Palo Alto Networks (PANW) reports 1.74%, ranking against industry peers normally.
PANW
Software & Services industry group
1.74%
- Max
- 53.85%
- Q3
- 17.90%
- Median
- 6.59%
- PANW
- 1.74%
- Q1
- -9.59%
- Min
- -50.52%
SNOW
Software & Services industry group
-48.06%
- Max
- 53.85%
- Q3
- 17.90%
- Median
- 6.59%
- Q1
- -9.59%
- SNOW
- -48.06%
- Min
- -50.52%
Net Margin (TTM)
Snowflake (SNOW) reports a negative net margin of -20.07%, usually indicating a net loss over the period. Meanwhile Palo Alto Networks (PANW) reports 2.67%, ranking against industry peers normally.
PANW
Software & Services industry group
2.67%
- Max
- 41.17%
- Q3
- 15.28%
- Median
- 4.63%
- PANW
- 2.67%
- Q1
- -5.42%
- Min
- -33.17%
SNOW
Software & Services industry group
-20.07%
- Max
- 41.17%
- Q3
- 15.28%
- Median
- 4.63%
- Q1
- -5.42%
- SNOW
- -20.07%
- Min
- -33.17%
Operating Margin (TTM)
Snowflake (SNOW) reports a negative operating margin of -17.00%, usually indicating that operating costs exceeded revenue at the operating-income line. Meanwhile Palo Alto Networks (PANW) reports 5.40%, ranking against industry peers normally.
PANW
Software & Services industry group
5.40%
- Max
- 46.89%
- Q3
- 17.64%
- Median
- 8.73%
- PANW
- 5.40%
- Q1
- -2.13%
- Min
- -30.45%
SNOW
Software & Services industry group
-17.00%
- Max
- 46.89%
- Q3
- 17.64%
- Median
- 8.73%
- Q1
- -2.13%
- SNOW
- -17.00%
- Min
- -30.45%
Profitability Metrics
| Metric | PANW | SNOW |
|---|---|---|
| ROE (TTM) | 1.74% | -48.06% |
| ROA (TTM) | 1.40% | -9.02% |
| Net Margin (TTM) | 2.67% | -20.07% |
| Operating Margin (TTM) | 5.40% | -17.00% |
| Gross Margin (TTM) | 70.38% | 67.03% |
Growth
Revenue Growth
Snowflake (SNOW) at 29.16% sits in the top revenue growth quartile, while Palo Alto Networks (PANW) at 24.50% is closer to the peer norm — faster top-line expansion for SNOW.
EPS Growth
Only one side can be read here: Palo Alto Networks (PANW) reports EPS growth of -75.00%, ranked against its industry; Snowflake (SNOW) has no EPS growth figure this period.
Growth Metrics
| Metric | PANW | SNOW |
|---|---|---|
| Revenue Growth (YoY) | 24.50% | 29.16% |
| Revenue Growth (3Y CAGR) | 18.54% | 31.38% |
| EPS Growth (YoY) | -75.00% | -- |
| EPS Growth (3Y CAGR) | -14.50% | -- |
Financial Strength
Current Ratio (MRQ)
Both Palo Alto Networks (PANW) at 0.87 and Snowflake (SNOW) at 0.94 run current ratio in the tighter-liquidity quartile of industry peers, leaving thinner cushions against current liabilities than typical competitors.
PANW
Software & Services industry group
0.87
- Max
- 5.11
- Q3
- 2.77
- Median
- 1.67
- Q1
- 1.01
- PANW
- 0.87
- Min
- 0.03
SNOW
Software & Services industry group
0.94
- Max
- 5.11
- Q3
- 2.77
- Median
- 1.67
- Q1
- 1.01
- SNOW
- 0.94
- Min
- 0.03
Debt / Equity (MRQ)
Palo Alto Networks (PANW) at 0.09 carries an industry-typical debt-to-equity mix, while Snowflake (SNOW) at 1.29 uses more debt funding than most peers.
PANW
Software & Services industry group
0.09
- Max
- 2.52
- Q3
- 1.13
- Median
- 0.40
- PANW
- 0.09
- Q1
- 0.07
- Min
- 0.00
SNOW
Software & Services industry group
1.29
- Max
- 2.52
- SNOW
- 1.29
- Q3
- 1.13
- Median
- 0.40
- Q1
- 0.07
- Min
- 0.00
Financial Strength Metrics
| Metric | PANW | SNOW |
|---|---|---|
| Current Ratio (MRQ) | 0.87 | 0.94 |
| Debt / Equity (MRQ) | 0.09 | 1.29 |
| Net Debt / EBITDA | -0.32 | -- |
Dividends
Dividend Yield (TTM)
Neither Palo Alto Networks (PANW) nor Snowflake (SNOW) pays a dividend this period — they may reinvest, use buybacks, or simply not return cash through dividends.
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%
SNOW
Software & Services industry group
0.00%
- SNOW
- 0.00%
- Max
- 0.00%
- Q3
- 0.00%
- Median
- 0.00%
- Q1
- 0.00%
- Min
- 0.00%
Dividend Payout Ratio (TTM)
Neither Palo Alto Networks (PANW) nor Snowflake (SNOW) pays a dividend this period — they may reinvest, use buybacks, or simply not return cash through dividends.
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%
SNOW
Software & Services industry group
0.00%
- SNOW
- 0.00%
- Max
- 0.00%
- Q3
- 0.00%
- Median
- 0.00%
- Q1
- 0.00%
- Min
- 0.00%
Dividend Metrics
| Metric | PANW | SNOW |
|---|---|---|
| Dividend Yield (TTM) | 0.00% | 0.00% |
| Dividend Payout Ratio (TTM) | 0.00% | 0.00% |
Valuation
P/E Ratio (TTM)
An earnings multiple is available for just one side: Palo Alto Networks (PANW) trades at 784.60 times trailing earnings, ranked against its peers, while Snowflake (SNOW) has no P/E ratio this period.
PANW
Software & Services industry group
784.60
- PANW
- 784.60
- Max
- 112.94
- Q3
- 60.32
- Median
- 32.91
- Q1
- 18.77
- Min
- 6.69
SNOW
Software & Services industry group
--
- Max
- 112.94
- Q3
- 60.32
- Median
- 32.91
- Q1
- 18.77
- Min
- 6.69
- SNOW
- --
P/S Ratio (TTM)
Both look expensive on sales: Snowflake (SNOW) at 17.91 sits in the upper P/S ratio quartile, and Palo Alto Networks (PANW) at 22.37 prices even higher, above its industry range.
PANW
Software & Services industry group
22.37
- PANW
- 22.37
- Max
- 17.91
- Q3
- 8.78
- Median
- 4.25
- Q1
- 2.23
- Min
- 0.02
SNOW
Software & Services industry group
17.91
- SNOW
- 17.91
- Max
- 17.91
- Q3
- 8.78
- Median
- 4.25
- Q1
- 2.23
- Min
- 0.02
P/B Ratio (MRQ)
Both look rich against book: Palo Alto Networks (PANW) at 9.30 sits in the upper P/B ratio quartile, and Snowflake (SNOW) at 45.23 prices even higher, above its industry range.
PANW
Software & Services industry group
9.30
- Max
- 16.63
- PANW
- 9.30
- Q3
- 8.50
- Median
- 4.30
- Q1
- 1.92
- Min
- -3.90
SNOW
Software & Services industry group
45.23
- SNOW
- 45.23
- Max
- 16.63
- Q3
- 8.50
- Median
- 4.30
- Q1
- 1.92
- Min
- -3.90
Valuation Metrics
| Metric | PANW | SNOW |
|---|---|---|
| P/E Ratio (TTM) | 784.60 | -- |
| P/S Ratio (TTM) | 22.37 | 17.91 |
| P/B Ratio (MRQ) | 9.30 | 45.23 |
| Free Cash Flow Yield (TTM) | 1.65% | 1.79% |