Leading cyber risk management company meets the highest federal standard to serve its growing public sector customer base FOSTER CITY, Calif., Aug. 27, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- Qualys, Inc. (NASDAQ: QLYS), a leading provider of disruptive cloud-based IT, security, and compliance solutions, today announced the Qualys Government Platform has achieved FedRAMP(R) High Authorization, sponsored by the U.S. Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA). This authorization makes Qualys one of the few cybersecurity platforms offering a ...

Core Insights - CyberArk (CYBR) and Qualys (QLYS) are significant players in the cybersecurity sector, focusing on different areas: CyberArk on privileged access management and identity security, while Qualys specializes in vulnerability management and compliance monitoring [1][2] CyberArk Overview - CyberArk is witnessing growth in its identity security offerings, particularly due to the increasing ratio of machine identities to human identities, now exceeding 80 to 1, compared to 45 to 1 a year ago [3] - The company is innovating with AI-based products such as Secure AI Agents and CORA AI, aimed at protecting AI agents from various security threats [4] - However, CyberArk's near-term growth is impacted by changing customer spending behaviors, with companies opting for phased investments in cybersecurity solutions [5] - The Zacks Consensus Estimate projects CyberArk's revenue growth rates of 32.3% for 2025 and 18.8% for 2026, with earnings growth rates of 27.4% and 25% respectively [6] Qualys Overview - Qualys has over 10,000 customers and a net dollar expansion rate of 104%, indicating strong customer retention and acquisition [10][12] - The company is enhancing its product offerings, including the launch of the first Risk Operations Center and Qualys TotalAI to mitigate risks associated with generative AI [13] - The Zacks Consensus Estimate anticipates revenue growth rates of 8% for 2025 and 6.5% for 2026, with earnings growth rates of 3.6% and 5.5% respectively [14] Market Performance and Valuation - Year-to-date, CyberArk shares have increased by 30.6%, while Qualys shares have decreased by 4.6% [16] - CyberArk is trading at a forward sales multiple of 14.7X, which is significantly higher than Qualys' 7.09X, indicating that CyberArk may be overvalued compared to Qualys [17] Investment Recommendation - Given the current market conditions, Qualys is recommended as a stronger investment option due to its robust growth and customer acquisition strategy, while CyberArk faces near-term challenges [19]

Core Insights - The cybersecurity market is projected to grow significantly, reaching $351.9 billion by 2030, with Fortinet and Qualys as key players addressing critical security needs [1][2] - Organizations are increasing their security budgets by 15% in 2025 due to escalating cyber threats [2] Fortinet (FTNT) - Fortinet reported a revenue growth of 14% year-over-year to $1.63 billion in Q2 2025, with billings increasing by 15% to $1.78 billion [4] - The company maintains a strong market position with its Security Fabric platform and leadership in network firewalls, but faces challenges in sustaining growth momentum [4][5] - Following its earnings announcement, Fortinet's stock dropped 17% in after-hours trading, indicating investor concerns about future growth despite beating earnings estimates [5] - The guidance for Q3 revenues is between $1.67 billion and $1.73 billion, suggesting a moderation in growth trajectory [5] - The consensus mark for 2025 earnings is $2.51 per share, indicating a 5.91% year-over-year growth [6] Qualys (QLYS) - Qualys demonstrated a 10% revenue growth to $164.1 million in Q2 2025, with 82% GAAP gross margins, showcasing operational efficiency [7] - The launch of the AI-powered Risk Operations Center positions Qualys as a leader in next-generation threat management, with the ability to reduce risk exposure by 85% and accelerate remediation by 70% [7] - Qualys raised its 2025 revenue guidance to $656-662 million, representing 8-9% growth, while maintaining strong profitability metrics [9] - The consensus mark for 2025 earnings is $6.35 per share, indicating a 3.59% year-over-year growth [10] Valuation and Performance Comparison - Fortinet trades at a P/E ratio of 30.18, while Qualys trades at a more attractive P/E ratio of 19.88, indicating better relative value for Qualys [11][8] - Fortinet's stock has dropped over 25% from its 52-week high and is down 14.5% year to date, while Qualys has shown more stability with a decline of 6.8% year to date [14] Conclusion - Qualys is viewed as a more compelling investment opportunity due to its innovative AI-driven platform, superior margins, and attractive valuation [18] - The focus on autonomous risk management positions Qualys for accelerated growth in the face of increasing security threats [18]

Industry Overview - The cybersecurity market is projected to witness a CAGR of 12.63% from 2025 to 2030, driven by the rise of complex attacks such as credential theft and social engineering [2] Company Profiles CrowdStrike - CrowdStrike specializes in endpoint protection and extended detection and response (XDR) through its Falcon platform, which is recognized as the industry's first multi-tenant, cloud-native security solution [4] - The Falcon platform offers 29 cloud modules categorized under Endpoint Security, Security & IT Operations, and Threat Intelligence, with subscription-based sales increasing from 72% in fiscal 2017 to 95% in fiscal 2025 [5] - Despite robust revenue growth, CrowdStrike's growth rate has decelerated from over 35% year-over-year until fiscal 2024 to 29% in fiscal 2025, with further estimates suggesting a decline to around 21% for fiscal 2026 and 2027 [6] - Rising costs are a concern, with R&D expenses increasing 12-fold and S&M expenses nearly ninefold to $1.52 billion in fiscal 2025 from $173 million in fiscal 2019 [7] - The Zacks Consensus Estimate for CrowdStrike's fiscal 2026 earnings indicates a year-over-year decline of 10.9% [8] Qualys - Qualys is a leading provider of Vulnerability Management, Detection and Response (VMDR) solutions, with a growing customer base and a net dollar retention rate of 104% [11] - The company has expanded its portfolio with new product launches, including the Risk Operations Center and enhancements to its TotalAI solution [12] - Qualys' channel partner program has driven revenue growth, with channel revenues increasing 17% year-over-year compared to 4% growth from direct customers [13] - International revenue growth is at 15% year-over-year, representing 43% of total revenues, allowing for organic expansion without acquisition costs [14] - The Zacks Consensus Estimate for Qualys' 2025 earnings is pegged at $6.35 per share, indicating a year-over-year increase of 3.6% [14] Valuation and Performance - Year-to-date, CrowdStrike shares have appreciated 25.1%, while Qualys shares have declined by 7.9% [17] - Qualys is trading at a forward sales multiple of 6.82X, below the industry average of 11.97X, while CrowdStrike is trading at a forward sales multiple of 19.98X, indicating overvaluation [20] - Qualys holds a Zacks Rank 1 (Strong Buy), making it a more attractive investment compared to CrowdStrike, which has a Zacks Rank 4 (Sell) [24]

Qualys (QLYS) FY Conference Summary Company Overview - **Company**: Qualys (QLYS) - **Date of Conference**: August 12, 2025 - **Key Speakers**: CEO Sumedh Thakkar, CFO Jimmy Kim Key Points Financial Performance - **Growth**: Reported a 10% growth with a 45% EBITDA margin, indicating strong financial health [4][5] - **Net Retention Rate**: Increased from 103% to 104%, reflecting positive customer engagement and renewal rates [5] Market Dynamics - **Macro Environment**: The macroeconomic environment remains stable, with customers taking time to consider larger purchases [4] - **Vulnerability Management Evolution**: The shift towards unified risk management platforms is gaining traction as organizations face overwhelming amounts of vulnerability findings [7][10] Product Development and Strategy - **Unified Platform**: Qualys is transitioning to a unified platform for risk management, integrating vulnerability management, asset management, and patch management [7][10] - **Agentic AI Capabilities**: Introduction of agentic AI to enhance operational efficiency and reduce manual efforts in risk management [20][22] - **Federal Market Focus**: Qualys has achieved FedRAMP High certification, positioning itself to capture growth in the federal sector, which has historically been less than 5% of revenue [35][36] Competitive Landscape - **Consolidation in Security Tools**: Customers are overwhelmed by the number of security tools, leading to a demand for consolidation while maintaining best-of-breed solutions [11][14] - **Partnership Strategy**: Transitioning from a 60/40 direct to partner sales model to a 51/49 mix, emphasizing the importance of partners in scaling the business [39] Future Outlook - **Growth Projections**: Anticipated growth rate for the second half of the year is projected at 5-7%, with a full-year growth expectation of 6-8% [45] - **Investment in R&D**: R&D expenses grew by 15% year-over-year in Q2, reflecting ongoing investment in new products and market strategies [28] Additional Insights - **Talent Acquisition**: The company has successfully leveraged its engineering team in Pune, India, to maintain a competitive edge in talent acquisition and product development [31][32] - **Managed Risk Operations Center (MROC)**: Launched to provide partners with a new offering in risk management, allowing them to generate more service revenue [42][43] Conclusion - Qualys is positioned for continued growth through strategic investments in technology, partnerships, and a focus on federal opportunities, while navigating the complexities of the cybersecurity landscape and evolving customer needs [47][48]

Wins for Epic Achievement and Best RCE spotlight Qualys' industry-leading research into critical OpenSSH vulnerabilities, reinforcing its leadership in global cybersecurity innovationFOSTER CITY, Calif. , Aug. 12, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- Qualys, Inc. (NASDAQ: QLYS), a leading provider of disruptive cloud-based IT, security and compliance solutions, today announced its Threat Research Unit (TRU) won two top honors at the Pwnie Awards. The TRU team received awards for "Epic Achievement" and "Best Remote Code Exe ...

Key Takeaways QLYS reported Q2 EPS of $1.68 and revenues of $164.1M, both beating consensus estimates.Channel partner sales rose 17% in Q2, now accounting for 49% of total revenues versus 51% from direct sales.QLYS raised 2025 EPS guidance to $6.20-$6.50 and revenue forecast to $656M-$662M on strong Q2 results.Qualys, Inc. (QLYS) shares gained 8.3% during Tuesday’s extended trading session after the company reported better-than-expected results for the second quarter of 2025. It reported second-quarter non- ...

Core Viewpoint - Qualys reported quarterly earnings of $1.68 per share, exceeding the Zacks Consensus Estimate of $1.47 per share, and showing an increase from $1.52 per share a year ago, indicating a positive earnings surprise of +14.29% [1] Financial Performance - The company achieved revenues of $164.06 million for the quarter ended June 2025, surpassing the Zacks Consensus Estimate by 1.80% and up from $148.71 million year-over-year [2] - Over the last four quarters, Qualys has consistently exceeded consensus EPS and revenue estimates [2] Stock Performance and Outlook - Qualys shares have declined approximately 3.1% since the beginning of the year, contrasting with the S&P 500's gain of 7.6% [3] - The company's future stock performance will largely depend on management's commentary during the earnings call and the trends in earnings estimate revisions [3][4] Earnings Estimates - The current consensus EPS estimate for the upcoming quarter is $1.49, with expected revenues of $163.06 million, and for the current fiscal year, the EPS estimate is $6.17 on revenues of $652.15 million [7] Industry Context - The Security industry, to which Qualys belongs, is currently ranked in the top 41% of over 250 Zacks industries, indicating a favorable outlook compared to the bottom 50% [8] - Another company in the same industry, Zscaler, is expected to report quarterly earnings of $0.80 per share, reflecting a year-over-year decline of -9.1%, with revenues projected to be $706.19 million, up 19.1% from the previous year [9]

Financial Data and Key Metrics Changes - Revenues grew 10% to $164.1 million, with channel partners contributing 49% of total revenues compared to 46% a year ago [22] - Adjusted EBITDA for Q2 was $73.4 million, representing a 45% margin compared to a 47% margin a year ago [24] - Free cash flow was $32.4 million, representing a 20% margin compared to 33% in the prior year [25] - EPS for Q2 grew 11% to $1.68 [25] Business Line Data and Key Metrics Changes - Patch management and cybersecurity asset management combined made up 16% of total bookings and 26% of new bookings on an LTM basis [24] - Cloud security solutions, Total Cloud SINA, accounted for 5% of LTM bookings [24] Market Data and Key Metrics Changes - 15% growth outside the U.S. was ahead of domestic business growth, which was 7% [23] - The number of customers spending $500,000 or more grew 7% from a year ago to 212 [12] Company Strategy and Development Direction - The company is pioneering a new risk operation center category in cybersecurity, focusing on proactive risk management rather than just detection [7] - The introduction of a fully reimagined agentic AI platform aims to manage cyber risk across multi-vendor environments [8] - The company is expanding its partner ecosystem and driving deep technology integrations to enhance growth [18] Management's Comments on Operating Environment and Future Outlook - The management noted ongoing macroeconomic uncertainty but expressed optimism about improving net dollar expansion rates [31][32] - The guidance for full-year 2025 revenues is expected to be in the range of $656 million to $662 million, representing a growth rate of 8% to 9% [26] - The company plans to continue investing in sales and marketing and engineering to drive long-term growth [28] Other Important Information - The company received FedRAMP High authorization, positioning it as a modern alternative for federal, state, and local agencies [17] - The launch of a new pricing model allows customers to purchase Qualys units, providing access to the entire platform [20] Q&A Session Summary Question: Insights on the macro environment and guidance conservatism - Management indicated that the environment remains stable but challenging, with customers being cautious about spending [31] Question: Performance of mROC messaging - The mROC concept is resonating well with customers, providing a proactive risk management solution that differentiates from traditional offerings [34] Question: Bridging revenue and billings growth - Management noted that current billings could indicate bookings performance, with expectations of 6% to 8% growth for the year [40] Question: Expectations for the federal vertical in Q3 - Management expects FedRAMP High to create opportunities over the next few quarters, although immediate impact is not anticipated [44] Question: Impact of Flex pricing on larger commitments - Early feedback on the new pricing model has been positive, allowing customers to access multiple modules without purchasing additional SKUs [51] Question: Drivers of revenue outperformance - Management attributed revenue outperformance to improved execution and a more conservative guidance framework due to macro uncertainties [58] Question: Improvement in gross retention and net retention - The improvement is attributed to both reduced macro headwinds and effective execution in customer discussions [78]

Financial Data and Key Metrics Changes - Revenues grew 10% to $164.1 million, with channel contributions increasing to 49% of total revenues from 46% a year ago [21][22] - Adjusted EBITDA for Q2 was $73.4 million, representing a 45% margin compared to 47% a year ago [23] - Free cash flow was $32.4 million, representing a 20% margin compared to 33% in the prior year [24] - EPS for Q2 grew 11% to $1.68 [24] Business Line Data and Key Metrics Changes - Patch management and cybersecurity asset management combined accounted for 16% of total bookings and 26% of new bookings on an LTM basis [23] - Cloud security solutions, Total Cloud SINA, made up 5% of LTM bookings [23] Market Data and Key Metrics Changes - International revenue grew by 15%, outpacing domestic growth of 7% [22] - The number of customers spending $500,000 or more grew 7% year-over-year to 212 [12] Company Strategy and Development Direction - Qualys is pioneering a new risk operation center category in cybersecurity, focusing on proactive risk management rather than just detection [6][7] - The company is expanding its ETM solution and introducing identity security management to address the evolving cybersecurity landscape [10][11] - A new flexible pricing model, Qualys units (QLUs), allows customers to access the entire platform and utilize modules of their choice [18] Management's Comments on Operating Environment and Future Outlook - The management noted ongoing macroeconomic uncertainty but expressed optimism about improving net dollar expansion rates, which increased to 104% [32][33] - The company expects revenue growth for the full year 2025 to be in the range of $656 million to $662 million, representing an 8% to 9% growth rate [25][26] - Management emphasized the importance of continued investment in sales and marketing to drive growth and capitalize on market opportunities [27] Other Important Information - Qualys received FedRAMP High authorization, positioning it as a modern alternative for federal, state, and local agencies [16] - The company is focusing on expanding its partner ecosystem to drive growth and enhance its market presence [17] Q&A Session Summary Question: Insights on the macro environment and guidance conservatism - Management acknowledged a stable but challenging environment, with customers being cautious about spending [32] Question: Performance of mROC messaging - Management noted that partners are excited about the proactive risk management capabilities offered by mROC, differentiating it from traditional SOC services [35] Question: Bridging revenue and billings growth - Management indicated that current billings growth is expected to align with revenue growth guidance of 6% to 8% [41] Question: Expectations for the federal vertical post-FedRAMP High - Management expressed optimism about future opportunities in the federal sector, although immediate impacts are not expected [46][48] Question: Impact of Qualys Flex pricing - Management reported positive feedback on the new pricing model, which allows customers to access multiple modules without purchasing additional SKUs [51] Question: Revenue outperformance and guidance - Management attributed revenue outperformance to a more conservative initial guidance due to macro uncertainties, but noted strong execution in the first half of the year [58]