Qualys (QLYS)
Market Price (12/4/2025): $149.36 | Market Cap: $5.4 BilSector: Information Technology | Industry: Systems Software
Qualys (QLYS)
Market Price (12/4/2025): $149.36Market Cap: $5.4 BilSector: Information TechnologyIndustry: Systems Software
Investment Highlights
Why It Matters
Which of these 2 stories sounds closer for this stock?
1. Generates cash flow
The stock generated 4% or more of the share price (called cash flow yield), and shows moderate 10-15% or more growth.
2. Riding a trend
Think Tesla during the pandemic of 2020 when EVs were riding a cultural high, or Nvidia in the current AI boom, or even Figma. These companies don’t have enough yield, or, enough growth, or both - however - they are riding a trend. They have momentum. These can be more volatile - they don’t have the floor of strong cash flow
| Attractive operating marginsOp Mgn LTMOperating Margin = Operating Income / Revenue Reflects profitability before taxes and before impact of capital structure (interest payments). is 33% | Weak multi-year price returns2Y Excs Rtn is -69%, 3Y Excs Rtn is -52% | |
| Attractive cash flow generationCFO/Rev LTMCash Flow from Operations / Revenue (Sales), Last Twelve Months (LTM) is 43%, FCF/Rev LTMFree Cash Flow / Revenue (Sales), Last Twelve Months (LTM) is 42% | ||
| Attractive yieldFCF Yield is 5.7% | ||
| Low stock price volatilityVol 12M is 35% | ||
| Megatrend and thematic driversMegatrends include Cybersecurity, and Cloud Computing. Themes include Software Security, Cloud Security, Show more. |
| Attractive operating marginsOp Mgn LTMOperating Margin = Operating Income / Revenue Reflects profitability before taxes and before impact of capital structure (interest payments). is 33% |
| Attractive cash flow generationCFO/Rev LTMCash Flow from Operations / Revenue (Sales), Last Twelve Months (LTM) is 43%, FCF/Rev LTMFree Cash Flow / Revenue (Sales), Last Twelve Months (LTM) is 42% |
| Attractive yieldFCF Yield is 5.7% |
| Low stock price volatilityVol 12M is 35% |
| Megatrend and thematic driversMegatrends include Cybersecurity, and Cloud Computing. Themes include Software Security, Cloud Security, Show more. |
| Weak multi-year price returns2Y Excs Rtn is -69%, 3Y Excs Rtn is -52% |
Valuation, Metrics & Events
QLYS Stock
Why The Stock Moved
Qualitative Assessment
AI Generated Analysis | Feedback
Qualys (QLYS) stock experienced an approximate increase of 10.96% from August 29, 2025, to December 3, 2025. This upward movement was influenced by several key factors during the period.
1. 1. Strong Second Quarter 2025 Earnings and Raised Guidance: Qualys announced its second quarter 2025 financial results on August 5, 2025, which showed robust performance. The company reported revenue of $164.1 million, a 10% year-over-year increase, and non-GAAP diluted EPS of $1.68, both surpassing Wall Street consensus estimates. Notably, Qualys also raised its full-year 2025 revenue guidance to $656–$662 million and non-GAAP EPS guidance to $6.20–$6.50, signaling strong future prospects to investors.
2. 2. Introduction of Agentic AI-Powered Risk Operations Center: On August 4, 2025, Qualys unveiled what it described as the "Industry's First Agentic AI-Powered Risk Operations Center," designed to deliver autonomous risk management. This significant product innovation demonstrated Qualys' commitment to leading-edge technology, likely generating investor enthusiasm for its potential to drive future growth and market differentiation.
3.
Stock Movement Drivers
Return vs. Risk
Price Returns Compared
| 2020 | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 | 2025 | Total [1] | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Returns | |||||||
| QLYS Return | 46% | 13% | -18% | 75% | -29% | 4% | 75% |
| Peers Return | 34% | -2% | -33% | 42% | 8% | -2% | 32% |
| S&P 500 Return | 16% | 27% | -19% | 24% | 23% | 16% | 112% |
Monthly Win Rates [3] | |||||||
| QLYS Win Rate | 58% | 67% | 25% | 83% | 33% | 30% | |
| Peers Win Rate | 31% | 52% | 21% | 50% | 44% | 62% | |
| S&P 500 Win Rate | 58% | 75% | 42% | 67% | 75% | 70% | |
Max Drawdowns [4] | |||||||
| QLYS Max Drawdown | -18% | -25% | -20% | -9% | -39% | -18% | |
| Peers Max Drawdown | -16% | -15% | -40% | -6% | -10% | -19% | |
| S&P 500 Max Drawdown | -31% | -1% | -25% | -1% | -2% | -15% | |
[1] Cumulative total returns since the beginning of 2020
[2] Peers: GWRE, INFA, TENB, CHOW, ECST. See QLYS Returns vs. Peers.
[3] Win Rate = % of calendar months in which monthly returns were positive
[4] Max drawdown represents maximum peak-to-trough decline within a year
[5] 2025 data is for the year up to 12/3/2025 (YTD)
How Low Can It Go
| Event | QLYS | S&P 500 |
|---|---|---|
| 2022 Inflation Shock | ||
| % Loss | -36.9% | -25.4% |
| % Gain to Breakeven | 58.4% | 34.1% |
| Time to Breakeven | 406 days | 464 days |
| 2020 Covid Pandemic | ||
| % Loss | -29.2% | -33.9% |
| % Gain to Breakeven | 41.3% | 51.3% |
| Time to Breakeven | 49 days | 148 days |
| 2018 Correction | ||
| % Loss | -30.1% | -19.8% |
| % Gain to Breakeven | 43.0% | 24.7% |
| Time to Breakeven | 475 days | 120 days |
Compare to GWRE, INFA, TENB, CHOW, ECST
In The Past
Qualys's stock fell -36.9% during the 2022 Inflation Shock from a high on 1/27/2021. A -36.9% loss requires a 58.4% gain to breakeven.
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Asset Allocation
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Latest Trefis Analyses
| Title | |
|---|---|
| ARTICLES |
Trade Ideas
Select past ideas related to QLYS. For more, see Trefis Trade Ideas.
| Date | Ticker | Company | Category | Trade Strategy | 6M Fwd Rtn | 12M Fwd Rtn | 12M Max DD |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 11302025 | ENPH | Enphase Energy | Dip Buy | DB | CFO/Rev | Low D/EDip Buy with High Cash Flow MarginsBuying dips for companies with significant cash flows from operations and reasonable debt / market cap | 0.9% | 0.9% | -0.9% |
| 11262025 | PD | PagerDuty | Dip Buy | DB | FCF Yield | Low D/EDip Buy with High Free Cash Flow YieldBuying dips for companies with significant free cash flow yield (FCF / Market Cap) and reasonable debt / market cap | 0.8% | 0.8% | 0.0% |
| 11212025 | CRM | Salesforce | Dip Buy | DB | FCFY OPMDip Buy with High FCF Yield and High MarginBuying dips for companies with high FCF yield and meaningfully high operating margin | 3.3% | 3.3% | -0.1% |
| 11212025 | HUBS | HubSpot | Dip Buy | DB | CFO/Rev | Low D/EDip Buy with High Cash Flow MarginsBuying dips for companies with significant cash flows from operations and reasonable debt / market cap | 5.1% | 5.1% | 0.0% |
| 11212025 | FIVN | Five9 | Dip Buy | DB | FCF Yield | Low D/EDip Buy with High Free Cash Flow YieldBuying dips for companies with significant free cash flow yield (FCF / Market Cap) and reasonable debt / market cap | 4.0% | 4.0% | 0.0% |
| Date | Ticker | Company | Category | Trade Strategy | 6M Fwd Rtn | 12M Fwd Rtn | 12M Max DD |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 11302025 | ENPH | Enphase Energy | Dip Buy | DB | CFO/Rev | Low D/EDip Buy with High Cash Flow MarginsBuying dips for companies with significant cash flows from operations and reasonable debt / market cap | 0.9% | 0.9% | -0.9% |
| 11262025 | PD | PagerDuty | Dip Buy | DB | FCF Yield | Low D/EDip Buy with High Free Cash Flow YieldBuying dips for companies with significant free cash flow yield (FCF / Market Cap) and reasonable debt / market cap | 0.8% | 0.8% | 0.0% |
| 11212025 | CRM | Salesforce | Dip Buy | DB | FCFY OPMDip Buy with High FCF Yield and High MarginBuying dips for companies with high FCF yield and meaningfully high operating margin | 3.3% | 3.3% | -0.1% |
| 11212025 | HUBS | HubSpot | Dip Buy | DB | CFO/Rev | Low D/EDip Buy with High Cash Flow MarginsBuying dips for companies with significant cash flows from operations and reasonable debt / market cap | 5.1% | 5.1% | 0.0% |
| 11212025 | FIVN | Five9 | Dip Buy | DB | FCF Yield | Low D/EDip Buy with High Free Cash Flow YieldBuying dips for companies with significant free cash flow yield (FCF / Market Cap) and reasonable debt / market cap | 4.0% | 4.0% | 0.0% |
Research & Analysis
Invest in Strategies
Wealth Management
Peer Comparisons for Qualys
| Peers to compare with: |
Financials
| Median | |
|---|---|
| Name | |
| Mkt Price | 87.97 |
| Mkt Cap | 5.4 |
| Rev LTM | 975 |
| Op Inc LTM | 41 |
| FCF LTM | 271 |
| FCF 3Y Avg | 181 |
| CFO LTM | 281 |
| CFO 3Y Avg | 194 |
Growth & Margins
| Median | |
|---|---|
| Name | |
| Rev Chg LTM | 11.1% |
| Rev Chg 3Y Avg | 14.1% |
| Rev Chg Q | 11.2% |
| QoQ Delta Rev Chg LTM | 2.7% |
| Op Mgn LTM | 3.4% |
| Op Mgn 3Y Avg | -3.3% |
| QoQ Delta Op Mgn LTM | 1.5% |
| CFO/Rev LTM | 27.2% |
| CFO/Rev 3Y Avg | 21.9% |
| FCF/Rev LTM | 25.4% |
| FCF/Rev 3Y Avg | 20.4% |
Valuation
| Median | |
|---|---|
| Name | |
| Mkt Cap | 5.4 |
| P/S | 7.3 |
| P/EBIT | 317.3 |
| P/E | 25.2 |
| P/CFO | 16.9 |
| Total Yield | 0.4% |
| Dividend Yield | 0.0% |
| FCF Yield 3Y Avg | 4.3% |
| D/E | 0.0 |
| Net D/E | -0.0 |
Returns
| Median | |
|---|---|
| Name | |
| 1M Rtn | 3.0% |
| 3M Rtn | -1.6% |
| 6M Rtn | -15.0% |
| 12M Rtn | -5.4% |
| 3Y Rtn | 22.4% |
| 1M Excs Rtn | 3.0% |
| 3M Excs Rtn | -5.9% |
| 6M Excs Rtn | -29.8% |
| 12M Excs Rtn | -16.5% |
| 3Y Excs Rtn | -51.7% |
Comparison Analyses
Returns Analyses
SEC Filings
Expand for More| Report Date | Filing Date | Filing |
|---|---|---|
| 9302025 | 11042025 | 10-Q 9/30/2025 |
| 6302025 | 8052025 | 10-Q 6/30/2025 |
| 3312025 | 5062025 | 10-Q 3/31/2025 |
| 12312024 | 2212025 | 10-K 12/31/2024 |
| 9302024 | 11052024 | 10-Q 9/30/2024 |
| 6302024 | 8062024 | 10-Q 6/30/2024 |
| 3312024 | 5072024 | 10-Q 3/31/2024 |
| 12312023 | 2222024 | 10-K 12/31/2023 |
| 9302023 | 11022023 | 10-Q 9/30/2023 |
| 6302023 | 8032023 | 10-Q 6/30/2023 |
| 3312023 | 5042023 | 10-Q 3/31/2023 |
| 12312022 | 2232023 | 10-K 12/31/2022 |
| 9302022 | 11022022 | 10-Q 9/30/2022 |
| 6302022 | 8082022 | 10-Q 6/30/2022 |
| 3312022 | 5042022 | 10-Q 3/31/2022 |
| 12312021 | 2222022 | 10-K 12/31/2021 |
External Quote Links
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