ORCL vs PANW: how the two businesses compare

  • Bigger business: ORCL, with $67.4B of yearly revenue, about 7.3× PANW's $9.2B.
  • More profitable: ORCL keeps 25 cents of each sales dollar as profit, against 12 cents at PANW.
  • More cash from each sale: ORCL turns 47 cents of each sales dollar into operating cash flow, against 40 cents at PANW.

From each company's latest annual SEC filing. Fiscal years can end on different dates.

Oracle (ORCL) is the larger business by reported revenue: $67.4B in its fiscal year ended May 2026, about 7.3× PANW's $9.2B (fiscal year ended Jul 2025). ORCL's net margin was 25.2% and PANW's 12.3%. The SEC classifies them differently (Services-Prepackaged Software; Computer Peripheral Equipment, NEC); what connects them is shared exposure to the Artificial intelligence research theme, not a common industry.

Figures come from each company's own SEC filings. This page compares the businesses; it is not a price target or a verdict.

Sector
Information Technology
SEC industry
Different
Separate classifications
Fiscal year ends
Different
ORCL May 31 · PANW July 31
Reviewed
Sep 10, 2026

ORCL vs PANW: quick comparison

Company factORCLPANW
CompanyOracle CorporationPalo Alto Networks, Inc.
ExchangeNYSENASDAQ
HeadquartersAustin, Texas—
Founded1977—
SEC industryServices-Prepackaged SoftwareComputer Peripheral Equipment, NEC
Fiscal year-endMay 31July 31
Latest annual filing10-K · 2026-06-2210-K · 2026-09-10

ORCL vs PANW: audited financials

  • Scale: ORCL's $67.4B of revenue is about 7.3× PANW's $9.2B.
  • Net margin: ORCL kept 25.2% of revenue as net income versus 12.3% at PANW.
  • Cash conversion: operating cash flow equalled ORCL 47.5% of revenue, or 1.88× net income; PANW 40.3% of revenue, or 3.28× net income. A ratio well above 1× usually reflects non-cash charges or working-capital release; well below 1× can reflect working-capital build or non-cash gains.
  • Periods: the fiscal years end about 10 months apart (2026-05-31 for ORCL, 2025-07-31 for PANW), so each figure reflects somewhat different demand and cost conditions.

ORCL: FY ending 2026-05-31 · PANW: FY ending 2025-07-31. Figures as tagged in each issuer's SEC XBRL filing; fiscal calendars may not align.

Where ORCL and PANW overlap, and where they don't

Overlap

  • Shared research theme: Artificial intelligence.

Differences

  • Different SEC industries: ORCL files as Services-Prepackaged Software; PANW as Computer Peripheral Equipment, NEC.
  • Offset fiscal calendars: ORCL's year ends May 31 and PANW's July 31, about 10 months apart.
  • Scale: ORCL reported about 7.3× the annual revenue of PANW.
  • Profitability: net margin of 25.2% for ORCL versus 12.3% for PANW.

Overlap is drawn from SEC classifications and Yield Theory research themes. It is not evidence that the companies sell to the same customers or compete product for product.

Oracle Corporation (ORCL)

Oracle runs one of the world's most widely used database platforms and has pivoted aggressively into cloud infrastructure and applications. Its cloud regions have become a favored home for large AI training workloads.

Palo Alto Networks, Inc. (PANW)

Palo Alto Networks provides next-generation firewalls, cloud security, and AI-driven threat detection for enterprises.

What moves each company

Company-specific drivers maintained by Yield Theory. Use them to decide which filing deserves deeper work; they are not predictions.

What moves ORCL

  • Oracle Cloud Infrastructure capacity additions and data-center build-out
  • Migration of software support customers to cloud applications and infrastructure
  • Renewal of software support contracts on the installed license base
  • Capital spending and borrowing to fund data-center expansion

What moves PANW

  • Next-Generation Security annualized recurring revenue
  • Platformization deals that consolidate point products onto Strata, Prisma, and Cortex
  • Mix of hardware firewall product revenue versus subscription and support
  • Distributor concentration and channel partner performance

The investment question

You now know ORCL reports about 7.3× PANW's revenue, and ORCL keeps more of each dollar as net income. Those are the facts. The investment question is what each share price already assumes about “Oracle Cloud Infrastructure capacity additions and data-center build-out” at ORCL and “Next-Generation Security annualized recurring revenue” at PANW, and which evidence in the next filings would prove that assumption wrong.

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SEC filing comparison and disclosure evidence

Start with primary filings because fiscal calendars and accounting presentation can make superficially similar quarters incomparable. ORCL's fiscal year ends May 31, while PANW's ends July 31. Normalize the reporting periods before comparing growth, margins, capital intensity, or guidance.

The current verified House and Senate snapshot contains 48 matched transaction rows for ORCL and 37 matched transaction rows for PANW. These delayed, range-based disclosures can identify a filing to inspect; they do not establish motive, conviction, or a real-time trading signal.

What this comparison cannot tell you

This page does not contain licensed live prices, a valuation model, earnings estimates, portfolio constraints, or a forecast of future returns. SEC classifications can be broad, company descriptions can lag strategic change, and the latest annual filing may predate a material acquisition or divestiture. Read subsequent quarterly and current reports before making a decision.

A stronger business is not automatically the better stock. Starting valuation, expectations, capital structure, cyclicality, dilution, and the probability of each thesis determine the investment outcome. Use this comparison to frame the work, then verify the numbers in the linked filings and current company disclosures.

ORCL vs PANW FAQs

Are ORCL and PANW direct competitors?

Not necessarily. Oracle files as Services-Prepackaged Software and Palo Alto Networks as Computer Peripheral Equipment, NEC. The pair is compared because both map to the Artificial intelligence research theme, not because the filings show head-to-head competition.

Is ORCL or PANW the bigger company by revenue?

Oracle (ORCL) is the larger business by reported revenue: $67.4B in its fiscal year ended May 2026, about 7.3× PANW's $9.2B (fiscal year ended Jul 2025). ORCL's net margin was 25.2% and PANW's 12.3%. The SEC classifies them differently (Services-Prepackaged Software; Computer Peripheral Equipment, NEC); what connects them is shared exposure to the Artificial intelligence research theme, not a common industry. Each figure is the annual amount tagged in the company's own SEC XBRL filing; market value depends on live prices, which this page does not publish.

Which is better, ORCL or PANW?

There is no context-free winner. Compare the operating exposures, filing evidence, valuation, balance sheet, and risks against the specific thesis you are testing. This page deliberately does not turn a static profile into a buy or sell recommendation.

Does this ORCL vs PANW comparison include live prices?

No. Yield Theory does not republish unlicensed real-time market data. The financial figures on this page are the audited annual numbers Oracle Corporation and Palo Alto Networks, Inc. tagged in their SEC XBRL filings. Use a regulated broker or licensed quote provider for current prices and valuation multiples.

Where does the company information come from?

Company classifications, fiscal year-ends, and filing links come from the SEC EDGAR submissions API snapshot refreshed 2026-10-13. Business summaries and research themes are maintained by Yield Theory.

Data snapshot: SEC EDGAR submissions API, refreshed 2026-10-13. Independent educational research; not investment advice.

Which business differences matter to the investment thesis?

ORCL vs PANW compares reported results. The reports below show how we connect operating evidence to an investment thesis, its assumptions, catalysts, and risks. $39/month or $249/year.

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