QLYS
TechnologyQualys, Inc. · Software - Infrastructure · $4B
What is Qualys, Inc.?
Qualys, Inc. is a cloud-native cybersecurity company delivering IT security, vulnerability management, and compliance solutions to organizations worldwide. Its unified platform helps businesses identify, prioritize, and remediate security risks across their entire digital environment.
Qualys generates revenue through subscription-based access to its Qualys Cloud Platform — an integrated suite covering vulnerability management, patch management, endpoint detection and response, web application security, and cloud security assessment. Customers use the platform to gain continuous visibility into their IT assets, detect threats, enforce compliance policies, and automate remediation workflows. This SaaS delivery model creates recurring revenue and allows customers to consolidate multiple point security tools into a single platform.
Qualys was founded in 2012 and is headquartered in Foster City, California.
- Vulnerability Management, Detection and Response (VMDR)
- Patch Management and automated remediation workflows
- Cloud and container security assessment
- Web Application Scanning and Firewall
- Cybersecurity Asset Management and global inventory
Is QLYS a Good Stock to Buy?
UQS Score rates QLYS as Good overall, reflecting a balanced profile with meaningful strengths and one notable area of concern.
The Quality pillar stands out as a clear highlight — Qualys demonstrates the kind of financial discipline and operational consistency that characterizes well-run SaaS businesses. The Risk pillar also rates Good, suggesting the company carries a relatively manageable risk profile compared to many mid-cap technology peers. Valuation is rated Attractive, which is notable in a sector where premium pricing is common.
Growth is the weakest pillar in the profile, indicating that revenue expansion has lagged behind faster-moving cybersecurity peers — a factor worth weighing against the otherwise sound fundamentals.
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Past performance does not guarantee future results. UQS Score is based on fundamental data and is not a buy/sell recommendation.
Does QLYS pay dividends?
No — Qualys, Inc. does not currently pay a dividend.
Qualys does not currently pay a dividend. For a subscription-driven cybersecurity company, this is typical — capital is generally reinvested into platform development, product expansion, and customer acquisition rather than distributed to shareholders. Investors seeking income may want to look elsewhere, while those focused on long-term platform growth may view reinvestment favorably.
When does QLYS report earnings?
Qualys reports earnings on a quarterly cadence, consistent with standard practice for US-listed equities.
The company's Quality pillar rating suggests a track record of financial consistency, though the Weak Growth pillar indicates that recent top-line momentum has been more measured than peers. Investors should monitor whether platform expansion into newer product areas translates into accelerating revenue over coming quarters.
For the most recent quarter's results and guidance, visit Qualys's official investor relations page.
QLYS Price History
-10.8% over 5Y
Monthly close, adjusted for stock splits and dividend reinvestment.
What if I invested in Qualys, Inc.?
Based on Qualys, Inc.'s historical closing prices, adjusted for stock splits and dividend reinvestment. Past performance does not guarantee future results. This is for informational purposes only and is not financial advice.
QLYS Long-term Outlook
The fundamental outlook for Qualys is shaped by two competing forces: a strong operational foundation on one side, and a slower growth trajectory on the other. The Good Risk rating suggests the business is not exposed to acute near-term financial stress, while the Attractive Valuation label implies the market may not be pricing in a meaningful recovery in growth. Whether Qualys can re-accelerate through platform consolidation and upsell into its existing customer base is the central question for the medium-term outlook.
Growth drivers
- Cross-sell and upsell of newer modules — such as patch management and EDR — into the existing customer base
- Enterprise demand for consolidated, cloud-native security platforms replacing fragmented point tools
- Expanding international markets and compliance-driven adoption in regulated industries
Key risks
- Sustained weak growth could compress the valuation advantage if the trend persists
- Intensifying competition from larger, better-resourced cybersecurity vendors
- Customer budget pressure in a tightening IT spending environment
QLYS vs Peers
Qualys operates in a competitive cybersecurity and IT security landscape alongside companies with distinct business models and market focuses.
BlackBerry has pivoted toward endpoint security and IoT software, competing with Qualys primarily in enterprise security but from a legacy device-management heritage.
Varonis focuses specifically on data security and insider threat detection, offering a narrower but deeply specialized alternative to Qualys's broader platform approach.
Euronet operates primarily in payment processing and financial technology, overlapping with Qualys only at the intersection of compliance and financial-sector security requirements.
Frequently Asked Questions
What does Qualys do?
Qualys provides a cloud-based platform that helps organizations manage IT security and compliance. Its tools cover vulnerability detection, patch management, endpoint security, web application protection, and cloud security — all delivered through a unified SaaS platform that replaces multiple point security products.
Does QLYS pay dividends?
No, Qualys does not currently pay a dividend. The company reinvests its capital into platform development and product expansion rather than distributing cash to shareholders. Investors prioritizing income may prefer dividend-paying alternatives in the technology sector.
When does QLYS report earnings?
Qualys reports financial results on a quarterly basis, in line with standard US-listed company practice. For the exact schedule and most recent results, check the investor relations section of the Qualys website directly.
Is QLYS a good stock to buy?
UQS Score rates QLYS as Good overall. The Quality and Risk pillars are highlights, and Valuation is rated Attractive relative to peers. However, the Weak Growth pillar is a meaningful consideration. The full pillar breakdown — available to Pro members — provides a more complete picture for your own research.
Is QLYS overvalued?
Based on the UQS Valuation pillar, QLYS is rated Attractive — meaning the current price appears reasonable or favorable relative to the company's fundamentals and sector peers. This is a relatively uncommon rating in the cybersecurity space, where many names trade at elevated multiples.
How does QLYS compare to its competitors?
Qualys differentiates itself through its broad, cloud-native platform that consolidates many security functions in one place. Compared to more narrowly focused peers like Varonis, Qualys offers wider coverage. The UQS competitor comparison module lets Pro members view side-by-side pillar ratings across peers.
What is QLYS's market cap bracket?
Qualys is classified as a mid-cap company. This places it in a segment of the market that often balances growth potential with greater operational maturity than smaller-cap peers, though with less scale than the largest cybersecurity platforms.
Who founded Qualys?
Qualys was founded in 2012 and is headquartered in Foster City, California. For detailed founding history and leadership background, the company's official about page and public filings are the most reliable sources.
Is QLYS a long-term quality indicator?
The UQS Quality pillar for QLYS is rated Strong, which suggests the business demonstrates durable financial characteristics over time. Long-term investors often weight Quality and Moat pillars heavily. The full UQS breakdown helps contextualize whether those strengths are likely to persist given current growth trends.
What is the main competitive advantage of Qualys?
Qualys's core advantage lies in its integrated, cloud-native platform that delivers a wide range of security and compliance capabilities without requiring on-premise infrastructure. This consolidation value proposition reduces complexity for enterprise customers and creates switching costs once the platform is embedded in security workflows.
What sector does QLYS belong to?
Qualys operates in the Technology sector, specifically within the cybersecurity and cloud security software segment. It competes for enterprise IT security budgets alongside both broad platform vendors and specialized point-solution providers.
Is QLYS a growth stock or value stock?
Based on UQS pillar labels, QLYS presents a mixed picture: the Growth pillar is rated Weak, while Valuation is rated Attractive. This profile leans more toward a value-oriented framing than a high-growth one — though the Quality pillar suggests underlying business strength that pure value traps typically lack.
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Pro Analysis
QLYS — Score History
| Date | UQS | Quality | Moat | Growth | Risk | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| May 22, 2026 | 63.4 | 87.1 | 43.0 | 35.8 | 67.6 | 90.7 | -0.1 |
| May 21, 2026 | 63.5 | 87.1 | 43.0 | 35.8 | 67.6 | 90.8 | -1.0 |
| May 16, 2026 | 64.5 | 88.7 | 43.0 | 35.7 | 67.6 | 95.3 | -0.4 |
| May 14, 2026 | 64.9 | 89.4 | 43.0 | 35.7 | 67.6 | 96.8 | +0.6 |
| May 12, 2026 | 64.3 | 88.3 | 43.0 | 35.7 | 67.6 | 94.9 | +0.6 |
| May 7, 2026 | 63.7 | 89.2 | 43.0 | 33.6 | 67.4 | 92.4 | -0.2 |
| May 3, 2026 | 63.9 | 89.2 | 43.0 | 33.6 | 67.4 | 93.2 | -0.2 |
| Apr 26, 2026 | 64.1 | 89.2 | 43.0 | 33.6 | 67.4 | 94.8 | -0.1 |
| Apr 19, 2026 | 64.2 | 89.2 | 43.0 | 33.6 | 67.4 | 95.5 | -0.1 |
| Apr 18, 2026 | 64.3 | 89.2 | 43.0 | 33.6 | 67.4 | 96.2 | -0.5 |
QLYS — Pillar Breakdown
Quality
— 87.1/100 (25%)Qualys, Inc. demonstrates outstanding capital efficiency and profitability, placing it among the highest-quality businesses in the market.
How effectively capital is deployed to generate returns.
Profitability relative to shareholders' equity.
Ability to convert revenue into operating profit.
Bottom-line profit as a share of revenue.
Asset productivity — how much gross profit each dollar of assets generates.
Free cash flow relative to market value.
Growth
— 35.8/100 (20%)Qualys, Inc. shows steady but unspectacular growth, typical for mature companies.
Revenue trajectory over the last twelve months.
Compound annual revenue growth rate over 3 years.
Year-over-year earnings per share growth.
Analyst consensus for future revenue growth.
Analyst consensus for future earnings growth.
Risk
— 67.6/100 (15%)Qualys, Inc. maintains a reasonable risk profile with manageable debt levels.
Debt levels relative to earnings capacity.
Total debt relative to shareholder equity.
Short-term liquidity — ability to pay near-term obligations.
Earnings capacity relative to interest payments.
Valuation
— 89.8/100 (15%)Qualys, Inc. appears attractively valued relative to its earnings, cash flows, and sector peers.
Inverse of forward P/E — higher yield means cheaper stock.
How many years of FCF the market cap represents.
P/E relative to earnings growth — lower is more attractive.
Enterprise value multiple relative to sector median.
Moat
— 43/100 (25%)Qualys, Inc. possesses some competitive advantages but faces meaningful competition. The Moat pillar evaluates competitive advantages across five dimensions: Switching Costs, Network Effects, Cost Advantage, Intangible Assets, and Scale & Ecosystem. Sign in to customize moat ratings for QLYS.
Score Composition
Financial Data
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How is the QLYS UQS Score Calculated?
The UQS (Unified Quality Score) for Qualys, Inc. is calculated using a proprietary 6-pillar framework with 29 financial metrics. Each pillar evaluates a different dimension on a 0–100 scale, then combines into a single weighted score. Scoring thresholds are calibrated per sector. Momentum is an optional Pro toggle — without it, you get the 5-pillar / 25-metric core shown below.
Quality (25%) measures profitability and capital efficiency — ROIC, ROE, margins, GP/Assets, and FCF Yield.
Moat (25%) assesses Qualys, Inc.'s competitive advantages across switching costs, network effects, cost advantages, intangible assets, and ecosystem scale.
Growth (20%) tracks revenue trajectory and earnings momentum, combining historical results with analyst forward estimates.
Risk (15%) is inversely scored — lower leverage and strong balance sheet health result in higher scores.
Valuation (15%) measures whether Qualys, Inc. is fairly priced using earnings yield, price-to-FCF, PEG ratio, and EV/EBITDA relative to sector peers.
Six investor-inspired presets are available, each with different pillar weights: Balanced, Buffett, Munger, Lynch, Cathie Wood, and Graham. The public score shown here uses the Balanced preset. Learn more in our FAQ.