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]

Core Insights - Zscaler (ZS) and Qualys (QLYS) are significant players in the cybersecurity sector, both competing in the vulnerability management space [1][2] - The cybersecurity market is expected to grow at a CAGR of 12.63% from 2025 to 2030, driven by increasing cyberattacks [2] Zscaler Overview - Zscaler provides a wide range of enterprise network security solutions, including web security, antivirus, and vulnerability management [4] - The company integrates over 150 data sources for unified vulnerability management, enhancing automation in risk mitigation [5] - Zscaler is focusing on privileged access security due to digital transformation trends and has a diverse industry presence, which helps mitigate macroeconomic risks [6] - The integration of AI in Zscaler's offerings enhances its capabilities in threat detection and mitigation [7] - However, rising sales and marketing expenses, along with increased R&D investment, are leading to margin compression, with fiscal 2025 earnings projected at $3.18 per share, a decline of 0.31% year-over-year [8][10] Qualys Overview - Qualys is a leader in Vulnerability Management, Detection and Response (VMDR) solutions, with a growing customer base and product enhancements [11] - The company has a strong channel partner program that accelerates revenue growth, particularly through cloud-based security solutions [12] - Qualys reported a 16% year-over-year growth in international revenue, indicating successful organic expansion [13] - The total addressable market for Qualys is projected to reach $72 billion by 2027, growing at approximately 13% annually [14] - Fiscal 2025 revenues for Qualys are estimated at $652.2 million, reflecting a year-over-year increase of 7.34%, with earnings projected at $6.17 per share, a growth of 0.65% [15] Stock Performance and Valuation - Year-to-date, Zscaler shares have returned 68%, while Qualys shares have returned 1.2% [17] - Zscaler trades at a forward sales multiple of 15.21X, above the industry average of 14.77X, while Qualys trades at a lower multiple of 7.69X [19] - Qualys is currently rated as a Zacks Rank 1 (Strong Buy), making it a more attractive investment compared to Zscaler, which holds a Zacks Rank 3 (Hold) [20]