After the market close on February 20, 2024, Palo Alto Networks announced financial results for the second quarter of 2024 and lowered its third quarter and full-year billings and revenue guidance. In an earnings call that same day, Defendants explained that “our guidance is a consequence of us driving a shift in our strategy in wanting to accelerate both our platformization and consolidation and activating our AI leadership.” Defendants also revealed that U.S. federal government deals for several large projects did not close and resulted in “a significant shortfall in our U.S. federal government business” that is expected to continue into the third and fourth quarters if 2024.
On this news, the price of Palo Alto Networks, Inc. common stock declined by $104.12 per share, or approximately 28%, on February 21, 2024.
The lawsuit alleges that throughout the Class Period, Defendants made false and/or misleading statements, as well as failed to disclose material facts, including that: (1) The Company’s consolidation and platformization initiatives were not driving increased market share to a significant degree; (2) the Company would need to ramp up platformization and free product offerings to entice customers to adopt more of their platforms; (3) the Company’s high growth in billings was not sustainable; (4) new AI offerings were not facilitating greater platformization and consolidation; and (5) based on the foregoing, Defendants lacked a reasonable basis for their positive statements about customer demand, billings, and platformization, as well as related financial results, growth, and prospects.
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