Qualys (NASDAQ:QLYS) CFO Joo Mi Kim Sells 2,659 Shares of Stock

Qualys, Inc. (NASDAQ:QLYS) CFO Joo Mi Kim sold 2,659 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Monday, November 2nd. The stock was sold at an average price of $209.66, for a total transaction of $557,485.94. Following the sale, the chief financial officer directly owned 68,208 shares in the company, valued at approximately $14,300,489.28. This represents a 3.75% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at this hyperlink. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan.

Qualys Trading Up 1.4%

QLYS opened at $210.57 on Wednesday. Qualys, Inc. has a 1-year low of $74.51 and a 1-year high of $235.54. The stock has a market capitalization of $7.29 billion, a PE ratio of 35.55 and a beta of 0.54. The firm has a 50-day moving average price of $189.57 and a two-hundred day moving average price of $135.71.

Qualys (NASDAQ:QLYS) last announced its earnings results on Tuesday, August 4th. The software maker reported $1.98 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.78 by $0.20. Qualys had a net margin of 29.38% and a return on equity of 37.52%. The company had revenue of $182.18 million for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $178.57 million. During the same period in the prior year, the business earned $1.68 earnings per share. Qualys’s quarterly revenue was up 11.1% on a year-over-year basis. On average, research analysts predict that Qualys, Inc. will post 5.84 EPS for the current year.

Key Stories Impacting Qualys

Here are the key news stories impacting Qualys this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Qualys has drawn attention after launching an AI-driven vulnerability platform, while broader demand for cybersecurity solutions, cloud migration and digital transformation may support the business. Article: Qualys Surges Following Launch of AI-Driven Vulnerability Platform Article: Security Stocks to Buy Amid Industry Trend
• Neutral Sentiment: CFO Joo Mi Kim sold 2,659 shares for about $557,000 under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 plan. She retained 68,208 shares, making the planned sale a limited signal on its own. SEC Form 4 filing
• Negative Sentiment: One analysis cautions that Qualys must turn its AI-driven sales pipeline into billings to justify its sharp rally, highlighting execution risk. Article: Qualys Must Turn AI-Driven Pipeline Into Billings
• Negative Sentiment: Wall Street Zen reportedly cut its rating to Hold. Separately, a Zacks preview said Qualys lacked the combination of factors suggesting a likely earnings beat, though it noted expectations for earnings growth. Article: Qualys Stock Rating Cut to Hold Article: Qualys Reports Next Week

Analyst Ratings Changes

Several research analysts recently weighed in on the stock. Canaccord Genuity Group set a $190.00 price objective on shares of Qualys in a research report on Wednesday, August 5th. Truist Financial increased their price objective on Qualys from $160.00 to $185.00 and gave the company a “hold” rating in a research report on Wednesday, August 5th. Royal Bank Of Canada lifted their target price on Qualys from $145.00 to $180.00 and gave the company a “sector perform” rating in a research note on Wednesday, August 5th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. boosted their target price on Qualys from $139.00 to $150.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a research report on Monday, July 27th. Finally, DA Davidson upped their price target on Qualys from $135.00 to $165.00 and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a research note on Wednesday, August 5th. Two equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, four have assigned a Buy rating, eleven have issued a Hold rating and one has assigned a Sell rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat, Qualys currently has an average rating of “Hold” and an average target price of $183.62.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Qualys

A number of institutional investors and hedge funds have recently modified their holdings of the business. Kilter Group LLC bought a new position in shares of Qualys in the second quarter valued at $31,000. Continuum Advisory LLC bought a new position in shares of Qualys in the second quarter valued at approximately $33,000. Root Financial Partners LLC increased its position in shares of Qualys by 206.2% during the 1st quarter. Root Financial Partners LLC now owns 297 shares of the software maker’s stock valued at $26,000 after purchasing an additional 200 shares during the last quarter. Public Employees Retirement System of Ohio bought a new stake in Qualys in the second quarter worth about $51,000. Finally, Allworth Financial LP purchased a new position in Qualys in the second quarter valued at approximately $64,000. 99.31% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

Qualys Company Profile

Qualys, Inc is a cloud-based cybersecurity company that helps organizations identify, assess and manage security risks across information technology environments. Its platform is designed to provide visibility into assets, vulnerabilities, configurations and compliance requirements across on-premises infrastructure, endpoints, networks, applications and cloud environments.

The company’s offerings include vulnerability management, detection and response, policy compliance, asset inventory, web application security, endpoint security and cloud security capabilities.