Qualys (QLYS)
Market Price (12/17/2025): $143.38 | Market Cap: $5.2 BilSector: Information Technology | Industry: Systems Software
Qualys (QLYS)
Market Price (12/17/2025): $143.38Market Cap: $5.2 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 -71%, 3Y Excs Rtn is -51% | Key risksQLYS key risks include [1] intense pressure from larger, Show more. |
| 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 -71%, 3Y Excs Rtn is -51% |
| Key risksQLYS key risks include [1] intense pressure from larger, Show more. |
Valuation, Metrics & Events
QLYS Stock
Why The Stock Moved
Qualitative Assessment
AI Generated Analysis | Feedback
Here are the key points for why Qualys (QLYS) stock moved by approximately 5.7% from August 31, 2025, to December 17, 2025:
1. Qualys Reported Strong Q3 2025 Financial Results: On November 4, 2025, Qualys announced impressive third-quarter 2025 results, surpassing analyst estimates for both earnings and revenue. The company reported a 10% increase in revenue, reaching $169.9 million. Adjusted EBITDA margin improved to 49% from 45% in the prior year, and non-GAAP EPS was $1.86, exceeding the Zacks Consensus Estimate of $1.56. Operating cash flow also saw a significant 48% increase to $90.4 million. This strong financial performance and raised full-year guidance likely contributed positively to the stock's movement.
2. Attainment of FedRAMP High Authorization: Qualys announced on August 27, 2025, that it had achieved FedRAMP High Authorization for its GovCloud Platform. This authorization is a significant milestone, positioning Qualys as one of the few cybersecurity platforms to meet stringent federal security and compliance standards, which is expected to drive incremental growth in the public sector.
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% | 3% | 74% |
| Peers Return | 119% | 46% | -41% | 72% | 15% | -13% | 222% |
| S&P 500 Return | 16% | 27% | -19% | 24% | 23% | 16% | 110% |
Monthly Win Rates [3] | |||||||
| QLYS Win Rate | 58% | 67% | 25% | 83% | 33% | 42% | |
| Peers Win Rate | 65% | 67% | 37% | 65% | 55% | 43% | |
| S&P 500 Win Rate | 58% | 75% | 42% | 67% | 75% | 73% | |
Max Drawdowns [4] | |||||||
| QLYS Max Drawdown | -18% | -25% | -20% | -9% | -39% | -18% | |
| Peers Max Drawdown | -35% | -17% | -47% | -6% | -18% | -30% | |
| S&P 500 Max Drawdown | -31% | -1% | -25% | -1% | -2% | -15% | |
[1] Cumulative total returns since the beginning of 2020
[2] Peers: TENB, RPD, CRWD, PANW, FTNT. 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 12/16/2025 (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 | 10.4% | 10.4% | -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 | 10.7% | 10.7% | 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 | 12.2% | 12.2% | -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 | 4.2% | 4.2% | 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 | 13.6% | 13.6% | 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 | 10.4% | 10.4% | -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 | 10.7% | 10.7% | 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 | 12.2% | 12.2% | -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 | 4.2% | 4.2% | 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 | 13.6% | 13.6% | 0.0% |
Research & Analysis
Invest in Strategies
Wealth Management
Peer Comparisons for Qualys
| Peers to compare with: |
Financials
| Median | |
|---|---|
| Name | |
| Mkt Price | 113.02 |
| Mkt Cap | 33.7 |
| Rev LTM | 2,770 |
| Op Inc LTM | 115 |
| FCF LTM | 688 |
| FCF 3Y Avg | 633 |
| CFO LTM | 871 |
| CFO 3Y Avg | 784 |
Growth & Margins
| Median | |
|---|---|
| Name | |
| Rev Chg LTM | 12.9% |
| Rev Chg 3Y Avg | 15.9% |
| Rev Chg Q | 12.8% |
| QoQ Delta Rev Chg LTM | 3.0% |
| Op Mgn LTM | 7.6% |
| Op Mgn 3Y Avg | 5.0% |
| QoQ Delta Op Mgn LTM | 0.1% |
| CFO/Rev LTM | 34.7% |
| CFO/Rev 3Y Avg | 37.2% |
| FCF/Rev LTM | 28.2% |
| FCF/Rev 3Y Avg | 30.7% |
Valuation
| Median | |
|---|---|
| Name | |
| Mkt Cap | 33.7 |
| P/S | 8.5 |
| P/EBIT | 28.0 |
| P/E | 29.6 |
| P/CFO | 21.4 |
| Total Yield | 1.3% |
| Dividend Yield | 0.0% |
| FCF Yield 3Y Avg | 4.3% |
| D/E | 0.0 |
| Net D/E | -0.0 |
Returns
| Median | |
|---|---|
| Name | |
| 1M Rtn | -4.3% |
| 3M Rtn | -1.9% |
| 6M Rtn | -13.6% |
| 12M Rtn | -11.8% |
| 3Y Rtn | 42.7% |
| 1M Excs Rtn | -5.3% |
| 3M Excs Rtn | -5.6% |
| 6M Excs Rtn | -27.3% |
| 12M Excs Rtn | -23.8% |
| 3Y Excs Rtn | -32.8% |
Comparison Analyses
Returns Analyses
Earnings Returns History
Expand for More| Forward Returns | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Earnings Date | 1D Returns | 5D Returns | 21D Returns |
| 11/4/2025 | 20.6% | 26.9% | 20.5% |
| 8/5/2025 | -0.2% | -0.9% | 2.8% |
| 5/6/2025 | 0.6% | 7.8% | 10.2% |
| 2/6/2025 | -3.7% | 0.3% | -11.0% |
| 11/5/2024 | 24.2% | 20.5% | 22.3% |
| 8/6/2024 | -8.6% | -8.8% | -9.8% |
| 5/7/2024 | -9.8% | -9.8% | -18.6% |
| 2/7/2024 | -4.2% | -3.7% | -4.8% |
| ... | |||
| SUMMARY STATS | |||
| # Positive | 10 | 12 | 11 |
| # Negative | 14 | 12 | 13 |
| Median Positive | 8.6% | 7.3% | 13.0% |
| Median Negative | -5.9% | -8.0% | -8.9% |
| Max Positive | 24.2% | 26.9% | 22.9% |
| Max Negative | -16.0% | -18.8% | -21.6% |
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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| CNBC | Etrade |
| MarketWatch | Unusual Whales |
| YCharts | Perplexity Finance |
| FinViz |