One-Sentence Summary of Key Findings: Qualys, Inc. (QLYS) is a established cloud cybersecurity and compliance provider with robust margins (TTM profit margin ~29%), consistent revenue growth (~10% YoY in FY2025), over 10,000 customers including many large enterprises, and a history of innovation in vulnerability management, though it faces intense competition and holds a consensus "Hold/Neutral" analyst rating with varying price targets.
Overview (Fact): Qualys, Inc. provides a cloud-based platform for IT security, compliance, and asset management solutions, including vulnerability management, cloud security (TotalCloud), application security, endpoint detection, patch management, and Enterprise TruRisk Management (ETM). It serves enterprises, governments, and SMBs globally across industries like financial services, healthcare, manufacturing, and government. Headquartered in Foster City, California, with ~2,625-2,683 employees.
History (Fact): Founded in 1999 by Philippe Langlois and Gilles Samoun (with early investment and later CEO role by Philippe Courtot). Launched QualysGuard in 2000 as one of the first SaaS vulnerability management tools. Went public on Nasdaq (QLYS) in September 2012, raising ~$87.5M net. Key milestones include cloud platform and agent launch (2015), CEO transition to Sumedh Thakar (2021), ETM release (2023), Agent Val AI tool (2026), and multiple product expansions in cloud/container security and AI-driven risk management. Partnerships with major MSSPs like IBM, Dell SecureWorks, BT, and others.
Interpretation: Qualys positions itself as a pioneer in continuous threat exposure management and pre-breach risk quantification, evolving from basic scanning to an integrated platform that aims to consolidate multiple security tools.
Uncertainty: Exact customer segmentation (e.g., proportion of large enterprises vs. SMBs) varies slightly across sources; long-term impact of AI features and competitive differentiation remains to be fully proven.
Links for more information: Official Website | Wikipedia | Investor Relations
| Year | Average Price | Year Close (approx.) | Annual % Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2023 | $139.89 | $196.28 | +74.89% |
| 2024 | $149.68 | $140.22 | -28.56% |
| 2025 | $135.21 | $132.90 | -5.22% |
| 2026 (YTD through early Aug) | $111.87 (partial) | Varies (recent closes ~$155-161 range in late July/early Aug data) | +21.19% YTD |
Additional Performance Metrics (Fact): 1-Year Return ~18.6%; 3-Year ~12.1%; 5-Year ~54.9%. 52-week range (historical): ~$74.51 - $167.86. Beta (5Y): 0.58 (lower volatility than market). Note: Historical data only; past performance does not guarantee future results.
Data Limitation: Stock prices and returns are historical snapshots from public sources (e.g., Macrotrends, Yahoo Finance) as of early August 2026 searches; intraday or exact daily closes excluded per guidelines. Market cap estimates ranged ~$5.1B-$5.67B in recent data points.
Links: Yahoo Finance Historical Data | Macrotrends History
| Metric | FY 2025 (Full Year) | Q4 2025 | TTM (approx.) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Revenue | $669.1 million (+10% YoY) | $175.3 million (+10% YoY) | $684.86 million |
| GAAP Net Income | $198.3 million | $53.2 million | $201.43 million |
| GAAP Diluted EPS | $5.44 | $1.47 | $5.58 |
| Non-GAAP Net Income | $257.8 million | $67.7 million | N/A |
| Gross Margin (GAAP) | 83% | 83% | N/A |
| Operating Margin (GAAP) | 33% | 34% | N/A |
| Profit Margin | ~30% | 30% | 29.41% |
| Adjusted EBITDA | $313.4 million | $82.6 million | N/A |
| Operating Cash Flow | $309.4 million (+27% YoY) | $75.7 million | N/A |
| Cash (mrq) | N/A | N/A | $471.35 million |
| Total Debt/Equity | N/A | N/A | 9.17% |
Additional Highlights (Fact): Strong balance sheet with significant cash and low debt. High ROE (~37.72% TTM) and ROA (~13.85% TTM). Q2 2026 results (reported ~Aug 4, 2026) showed beats on EPS/revenue estimates with raised FY2026 guidance (e.g., non-GAAP EPS $7.74-$7.88).
Interpretation: Consistent double-digit revenue growth and high margins reflect efficient SaaS model and platform adoption (e.g., ETM); cash generation supports share repurchases ($200M increase announced in Q4 2025).
Uncertainty: Future growth rates (guidance ~7-9%) depend on macro environment, competition, and successful monetization of new AI/features; non-GAAP adjustments can vary.
Data Limitation/Assumption: Financials primarily from company press releases (FY2025) and Yahoo aggregates (TTM); Q2 2026 details partial from news. Forward guidance subject to risks disclosed by company. No reconciliation of non-GAAP to GAAP provided here.
Links: Yahoo Finance Key Statistics | Q4/FY2025 Earnings Release
Consensus (Fact): Overall consensus rating is Hold/Neutral (average score ~2.24 on 5-point scale where 1=Strong Buy, 5=Sell). Based on ~18-31 analysts. Average 12-month price target ~$133-$142 (range: Low $90, High $190). Recent actions include multiple PT raises (e.g., JPM to $150 Neutral, Truist to $160 Hold, Scotiabank upgrade to Buy $190) but also maintains like Morgan Stanley Underweight.
| Date | Analyst | Rating | Price Target | Action |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jul 27, 2026 | JP Morgan | Neutral | $150 (from $139) | Maintain/Raise |
| Jul 21, 2026 | Truist | Hold | $160 (from $85) | Maintain/Raise |
| Jul 21, 2026 | Morgan Stanley | Underweight | $115-$130 | Maintain |
| Jul 16, 2026 | RBC | Sector Perform (Hold) | $145 (from $90) | Maintain/Raise |
| Jul 13, 2026 | TD Cowen | Hold | $145 (from $90) | Maintain |
| Jul 6, 2026 | Scotiabank | Buy/Outperform | $190 | Upgrade |
Interpretation: Mixed sentiment reflects strong fundamentals and recent beats offset by valuation concerns or competitive pressures in cybersecurity.
Uncertainty: Ratings and targets change frequently; distribution (e.g., ~5 Buy, 15 Hold, 1 Sell in one poll) varies by source and timing.
Data Limitation: Aggregated from multiple sources (MarketBeat, Yahoo, Investing.com, TipRanks) as of early August 2026; individual analyst views subjective and not exhaustive.
Links: Yahoo Analyst Insights | MarketBeat Consensus | Seeking Alpha
Interpretation: Broad enterprise adoption supports recurring revenue stability; partnerships extend reach especially in public sector and managed services.
Uncertainty: Specific revenue concentration or churn rates not publicly detailed in aggregates; "majority of Fortune 100" claims are company-asserted.
Links: Customer Success Stories | Customer Database Examples
| Competitor | Key Overlap Areas | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Tenable (TENB) | Vulnerability management, exposure management | Direct rival in VM/ETM space |
| Rapid7 (RPD) | Vulnerability mgmt, cloud/endpoint security | InsightVM and broader platform |
| CrowdStrike (CRWD) | Endpoint detection, cloud security | Falcon platform competition |
| Palo Alto Networks (PANW) | Cloud workload, CNAPP, broader security | Cortex Xpanse etc. |
| Microsoft (MSFT) | Defender for Cloud, hybrid security | Enterprise bundling advantage |
| Others: BeyondTrust, Tanium, Sophos, Check Point, Varonis | Patch mgmt, EDR, data security | Niche or complementary |
Interpretation: Highly competitive cybersecurity market; Qualys differentiates via unified cloud platform and risk quantification (ETM), but larger players may have scale advantages.
Uncertainty: Market share shifts dynamic; exact competitive win/loss data proprietary.
Links: Competitor Comparisons | MarketBeat Peers
Fact: News reflects strong execution on earnings and innovation but tempered by broader analyst caution.
Data Limitation: News is time-sensitive; verify latest on financial sites as markets and events evolve rapidly.