Qualys (NASDAQ:QLYS) Releases FY 2026 Earnings Guidance

Qualys (NASDAQ:QLYS) issued an update on its FY 2026 earnings guidance on Tuesday. The company provided earnings per share guidance of 7.740-7.880 for the period, compared to the consensus earnings per share estimate of 7.160. The company issued revenue guidance of $732.0 million-$738.0 million, compared to the consensus revenue estimate of $724.6 million. Qualys also updated its Q3 2026 guidance to 1.910-1.980 EPS.

Qualys Stock Down 1.5%

Shares of NASDAQ:QLYS traded down $2.72 during mid-day trading on Thursday, reaching $180.53. 678,770 shares of the stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 770,994. The stock’s 50 day simple moving average is $132.86 and its 200-day simple moving average is $111.34. Qualys has a one year low of $74.51 and a one year high of $201.54. The company has a market cap of $6.36 billion, a P/E ratio of 31.18 and a beta of 0.60.

Qualys (NASDAQ:QLYS) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, August 4th. The software maker reported $1.98 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.78 by $0.20. Qualys had a net margin of 29.38% and a return on equity of 37.67%. The company had revenue of $182.18 million for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $178.57 million. During the same period last year, the company earned $1.68 earnings per share. The firm’s revenue was up 11.1% compared to the same quarter last year. Qualys has set its FY 2026 guidance at 7.740-7.880 EPS and its Q3 2026 guidance at 1.910-1.980 EPS. Analysts anticipate that Qualys will post 5.47 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

A number of equities research analysts have recently issued reports on the company. Jefferies Financial Group upped their price objective on Qualys from $150.00 to $185.00 and gave the stock a “hold” rating in a research note on Wednesday. Truist Financial increased their price objective on shares of Qualys from $160.00 to $185.00 and gave the company a “hold” rating in a research report on Wednesday. William Blair lowered shares of Qualys from an “outperform” rating to a “market perform” rating in a research note on Tuesday, April 28th. Wedbush cut their price objective on shares of Qualys from $155.00 to $125.00 and set an “outperform” rating for the company in a research report on Thursday, May 7th. Finally, DA Davidson boosted their price objective on Qualys from $135.00 to $165.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a report on Wednesday. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, three have given a Buy rating, twelve have issued a Hold rating and one has given a Sell rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the company currently has a consensus rating of “Hold” and an average price target of $170.53.

Insider Buying and Selling at Qualys

In related news, insider Bruce K. Posey sold 882 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, July 20th. The stock was sold at an average price of $158.17, for a total value of $139,505.94. Following the completion of the sale, the insider directly owned 62,689 shares in the company, valued at approximately $9,915,519.13. The trade was a 1.39% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is accessible through this link. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. Also, CFO Joo Mi Kim sold 1,627 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction on Monday, August 3rd. The stock was sold at an average price of $153.04, for a total value of $248,996.08. Following the transaction, the chief financial officer owned 75,743 shares in the company, valued at approximately $11,591,708.72. This trade represents a 2.10% decrease in their position. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. Insiders have sold a total of 76,855 shares of company stock valued at $9,706,670 in the last three months. Corporate insiders own 0.72% of the company’s stock.

Key Stories Impacting Qualys

Here are the key news stories impacting Qualys this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Quarterly results exceeded expectations. Qualys reported Q2 revenue of $182.18 million, up 11.1% year over year and above the $178.57 million consensus estimate. Adjusted EPS of $1.98 beat expectations of $1.78 and increased from $1.68 a year earlier. Adjusted EBITDA reached $83.8 million, while channel revenue reportedly climbed 22%. Qualys Announces Second Quarter 2026 Financial Results
• Positive Sentiment: Qualys raised its 2026 outlook above analyst expectations. Full-year revenue guidance increased to $732 million-$738 million from $721 million-$727 million, while EPS guidance rose to $7.74-$7.88 versus the $7.16 consensus. Q3 revenue guidance of $185.5 million-$187.5 million and EPS guidance of $1.91-$1.98 also exceeded estimates. Qualys FY2026 Outlook and InstaScan
• Positive Sentiment: Growth initiatives are improving the investment story. Management highlighted demand for AI-related security products, adoption of its Risk Operations Center, federal-sector momentum, partner execution and early QFlex engagement. The company also launched InstaScan, an AI-enabled capability designed to identify newly disclosed vulnerabilities without waiting for conventional scan windows. Qualys Launches InstaScan
• Positive Sentiment: Analyst support improved. Scotiabank raised its price target from $190 to $220 and upgraded QLYS to “sector outperform,” potentially reinforcing bullish sentiment after the earnings beat.
• Neutral Sentiment: Investor outreach is scheduled. Qualys said management will participate in a fireside chat and meetings at Canaccord Genuity’s Growth Conference, providing an opportunity to discuss the outlook and new products. Qualys Investor Conference Announcement
• Negative Sentiment: Insider selling remains a risk signal. CFO Joo Mi Kim sold 1,627 shares for approximately $249,000 under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 plan. The planned nature and relatively small size reduce the significance, but broader recent insider activity has consisted predominantly of sales.

Institutional Trading of Qualys

Several large investors have recently made changes to their positions in the company. Strive Financial Group LLC bought a new stake in Qualys during the fourth quarter worth $27,000. Northwestern Mutual Wealth Management Co. lifted its position in shares of Qualys by 204.3% during the 4th quarter. Northwestern Mutual Wealth Management Co. now owns 213 shares of the software maker’s stock worth $28,000 after buying an additional 143 shares during the last quarter. Horizon Investments LLC bought a new position in Qualys in the third quarter valued at about $57,000. CIBC Private Wealth Group LLC lifted its holdings in shares of Qualys by 55.7% in the fourth quarter. CIBC Private Wealth Group LLC now owns 481 shares of the software maker’s stock worth $64,000 after acquiring an additional 172 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Advisors Asset Management Inc. boosted its stake in shares of Qualys by 74.2% in the 4th quarter. Advisors Asset Management Inc. now owns 547 shares of the software maker’s stock valued at $73,000 after purchasing an additional 233 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 99.31% of the company’s stock.

About Qualys

Qualys, Inc (NASDAQ: QLYS) is a leading provider of cloud-based security and compliance solutions designed to help organizations streamline their IT security programs. Operating on a unified, modular platform, Qualys offers continuous visibility into global IT assets through a combination of lightweight cloud agents and on-premises scanner appliances. The platform supports an array of security and compliance use cases, enabling real-time detection of vulnerabilities, policy violations and misconfigurations across on-premises, cloud and hybrid environments.

The company’s flagship Qualys Cloud Platform delivers a suite of integrated applications, including vulnerability management, detection and response (VMDR), policy compliance, web application scanning, file integrity monitoring, asset inventory and container security.