PALO ALTO NETWORKS, INC vs WESTERN DIGITAL CORPORATION, two Computer Hardware stocks. A side-by-side on valuation, growth, margins, returns, and what each price is betting.
Neither top line's growth appears in this data, so the multiples state the market's guesses: 248.9 times for Palo Alto Networks, the price of believing platform-security consolidation is early innings, and 34.5 times for Western Digital, the price of enjoying a storage cycle while doubting it. The current income statements argue for the drive maker, a 35.7% operating margin and 40.7% net against Palo Alto's negative 6.1% and 8%. Both convert little price into free cash, 1.3% and 1.6%. WDC's modest 0.33 leverage against Palo Alto's none rounds out a pair where every conventional signal favors the cheaper stock, and the market has decided conventional signals are not the point.
Comparison updated 2026-07-10.
| Metric | PANW | WDC |
|---|---|---|
| Price | $303.60 | $578.52 |
| Market cap | $243.2B | $223.9B |
| Sector | Computer Hardware | Computer Hardware |
| Stage | Growth | Growth |
| P/E | 248.8 | 34.5 |
| P/B | 8.79 | 23.13 |
| P/S | 22.93 | 19.01 |
| EV/EBITDA | 217.2 | 61.5 |
| Revenue growth | +19.4% | +32.0% |
| Gross margin | 67.5% | 50.2% |
| Operating margin | -6.1% | 35.7% |
| Net margin | 8.0% | 40.7% |
| Return on equity | 3.0% | 49.6% |
| Return on assets | 1.8% | 31.9% |
| Return on invested capital | 2.9% | 26.5% |
| FCF yield | 1.6% | 1.3% |
| Dividend yield | — | 0.0% |
| Debt / equity | 0.00 | 0.33 |
| Current ratio | 0.86 | 1.49 |
| Altman Z (solvency) | 6.28 | 7.86 |
| Piotroski F (quality) | 4 / 9 | 6 / 9 |
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The stronger value is highlighted per metric where one is strictly better on that single number; it is not an overall verdict on either company. For informational and research purposes only. Not investment advice. Not a recommendation to buy, sell, or hold any security. boothcheck is not a registered investment adviser. Past performance does not guarantee future results.