Charter Communications Inc vs Palo Alto Networks Inc — how do they compare? Charter Communications Inc trades at $157.69 (market cap $18.28B), while Palo Alto Networks Inc trades at $384 (market cap $313.81B). The key difference: Palo Alto Networks Inc is far larger — about 17.2× Charter Communications Inc's market cap, and Palo Alto Networks Inc is trading nearer its 52-week high, Charter Communications Inc nearer its low. Which is the better fit depends on your goals.
| CHTR | PANW | |
|---|---|---|
Market Cap | $18.28B | $313.81B |
Sector | Media | Technology |
52-Week High | $282.74 | $385.04 |
52-Week Low | $123.31 | $141.67 |
Enterprise Value | $114.49B | $312.77B |
Signals from Pluang's Aura AI — not financial advice
Charter Communications (CHTR) trades at $152.57, down 3.09% on the day, with a bullish technical signal from moving averages but mixed oscillators. The stock shows low valuation multiples with a P/E of 3.97 and P/S of 0.36, supported by a 9.05% net income margin and strong operating cash flow of $16.08B in 2025. Recent Q2 2026 earnings beat expectations with EPS of $10.66 versus $9.98 estimated, though revenue declined 1.7% year-over-year. News highlights debt refinancing activities and competitive pressures in broadband.
The outlook remains cautious due to subscriber losses and fiber competition, but the extreme valuation discount and aggressive buybacks offer potential upside. Risks include high debt leverage at $93.21B long-term and persistent industry headwinds. Analyst consensus is mixed with a $166.18 price target, suggesting 9% upside from current levels.
Palo Alto Networks (PANW) trades at $363.86, up 1.22% today, near its pivot point of $365. The stock shows strong bullish momentum with consistent earnings beats and robust revenue growth, reaching $9.22 billion in fiscal 2025. Technical indicators signal bullish trends, while high valuation ratios like a P/E of 316.4 reflect market optimism. Recent news highlights AI-driven cybersecurity demand and record stock performance following industry events.
Outlook remains positive due to AI security tailwinds and earnings strength, but risks include premium valuation, integration costs from acquisitions, and regulatory scrutiny in China. Analyst consensus is strongly bullish with a $344.94 price target, though current price exceeds this, suggesting cautious optimism for growth-driven upside.
Trailing returns across standard periods
Latest headlines on both assets
Charter is the product of the 2016 merger of three cable companies, each with a decades-long history in the business: Legacy Charter, Time Warner Cable, and Bright House Networks. The firm now holds networks capable of providing television, internet access, and phone services to roughly 54 million U.S. homes and businesses, around 40% of the country. Across this footprint, Charter serves 29 million residential and 2 million commercial customer accounts under the Spectrum brand, making it the second-largest U.S. cable company behind Comcast. The firm also owns, in whole or in part, sports and news networks, including Spectrum SportsNet (long-term local rights to Los Angeles Lakers games), SportsNet LA (Los Angeles Dodgers), SportsNet New York (New York Mets), and Spectrum News NY1.
Read more on CHTR →Palo Alto Networks is a pure-play cybersecurity vendor that sells security appliances, subscriptions, and support into enterprises, government entities, and service providers. The company's product portfolio includes firewall appliances, virtual firewalls, endpoint protection, cloud security, and cybersecurity analytics. The Santa Clara, California, firm was established in 2005 and sells its products worldwide.
Read more on PANW →