Qualys (NASDAQ:QLYS) Issues Q3 2026 Earnings Guidance

Qualys (NASDAQ:QLYS) issued an update on its third quarter 2026 earnings guidance on Tuesday morning. The company provided EPS guidance of 1.910-1.980 for the period, compared to the consensus earnings per share estimate of 1.800. The company issued revenue guidance of $185.5 million-$187.5 million, compared to the consensus revenue estimate of $182.6 million. Qualys also updated its FY 2026 guidance to 7.740-7.880 EPS.

Qualys Price Performance

Shares of NASDAQ:QLYS traded down $2.72 during trading on Thursday, reaching $180.53. 678,770 shares of the stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 770,994. Qualys has a 1-year low of $74.51 and a 1-year high of $201.54. The stock has a fifty day moving average of $132.86 and a two-hundred day moving average of $111.34. The firm has a market cap of $6.36 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 31.18 and a beta of 0.60.

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

Analysts Set New Price Targets

A number of research analysts have recently issued reports on QLYS shares. DA Davidson lifted their price objective on shares of Qualys from $135.00 to $165.00 and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a report on Wednesday. Wedbush dropped their price target on shares of Qualys from $155.00 to $125.00 and set an “outperform” rating on the stock in a research report on Thursday, May 7th. William Blair downgraded Qualys from an “outperform” rating to a “market perform” rating in a research note on Tuesday, April 28th. Scotiabank boosted their price objective on Qualys from $190.00 to $220.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a report on Wednesday. Finally, Morgan Stanley increased their price objective on Qualys from $115.00 to $130.00 and gave the stock an “underweight” rating in a research note on Wednesday. One analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, three have given a Buy rating, twelve have assigned a Hold rating and one has given a Sell rating to the company’s stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, Qualys currently has an average rating of “Hold” and a consensus price target of $170.53.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other news, insider Bruce K. Posey sold 2,384 shares of Qualys stock in a transaction on Tuesday, May 19th. The stock was sold at an average price of $100.18, for a total transaction of $238,829.12. Following the sale, the insider directly owned 66,301 shares in the company, valued at $6,642,034.18. The trade was a 3.47% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available at this hyperlink. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. Also, CFO Joo Mi Kim sold 1,627 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, May 19th. The stock was sold at an average price of $100.17, for a total transaction of $162,976.59. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief financial officer directly owned 83,211 shares in the company, valued at $8,335,245.87. This trade represents a 1.92% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. Over the last quarter, insiders have sold 76,855 shares of company stock valued at $9,706,670. Insiders own 0.72% of the company’s stock.

More Qualys News

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

Hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently modified their holdings of the business. Sivia Capital Partners LLC purchased a new position in Qualys in the 2nd quarter valued at approximately $292,000. EntryPoint Capital LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Qualys during the fourth quarter worth $201,000. Wedbush Securities Inc. bought a new position in shares of Qualys in the fourth quarter worth $200,000. Advisory Services Network LLC purchased a new position in shares of Qualys in the third quarter valued at $137,000. Finally, Focus Partners Wealth bought a new stake in shares of Qualys during the 3rd quarter valued at $214,000. Institutional investors own 99.31% of the company’s stock.

Qualys Company Profile

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.