Qualys Raises 2026 Revenue Outlook to $738.9 Million After 11% Quarterly Growth
Key Facts
Qualys reported results on November 9 for the third quarter ended September 30, posting revenue of $188.0 million, up 11% from $169.9 million in the same period of 2025. Revenue exceeded the company’s previous range of $185.5 million to $187.5 million, which pointed to annual growth of 9% to 10%. It also topped analysts’ estimate of $186.6 million, according to estimates cited by Reuters via Investing.com. GAAP net income was $57.2 million, or $1.62 per diluted share, compared with $50.3 million and $1.39 per share a year earlier. The company reported results after the market closed on November 9, so November 6 data do not reflect a reaction to the announcement.
Non-GAAP measures showed net income of $74.8 million, or $2.12 per diluted share, up 11% from the year-earlier quarter, according to the company’s statement. Analysts had estimated earnings of $1.96 per share ahead of the results, putting reported GAAP earnings per share above the estimate as well. Qualys raised its 2026 revenue forecast to a range of $736.9 million to $738.9 million, equivalent to 10% growth from 2025. Its previous range was $732.0 million to $738.0 million. The revision raises both the low and high ends of the annual forecast, while the difference between the ranges remains limited.
The company also raised its 2026 GAAP diluted earnings-per-share forecast to a range of $6.08 to $6.15, from $5.76 to $5.90 in its previous guidance. The revision provides another indication of how management’s estimates for the year have changed, alongside the revenue update. For the fourth quarter, Qualys expects revenue of $191.0 million to $193.0 million, representing annual growth of 9% to 10%. The range is a forecast for the period immediately following the quarter ended in September. Management is scheduled to discuss the third-quarter results on an investor call on November 9 at 5:00 p.m. Eastern time.
Management attributed accelerating demand to increased adoption of its AI-powered Risk Operations Center, as part of a strategy that puts partnerships at the forefront of growth channels. Chief Executive Sumedh Thakar said the company aims to deliver "a vendor-agnostic platform that actually remediates security issues instead of just reporting them." The company links this direction to expanding use of its security risk management tools, while quarterly revenue growth came in above the previous quarterly guidance level. In the second quarter of 2026, revenue had risen 11% to $182.2 million from $164.1 million a year earlier. GAAP operating income then increased 20% to $61.9 million from $51.4 million, and the operating margin was 34% compared with 31% in the second quarter of 2025.
Before the results were released, QLYS shares fell 4.62% in the November 6 session, the last trading session before the announcement, to close at $190.41, according to Investing.com data. That close preceded the results announcement, which came after the market closed on November 9, and does not show the stock’s performance afterward. The supplied price data do not include a documented reading of the stock’s movement after the announcement. The November 6 move therefore reflects only pre-results trading, while the quarterly figures and new forecasts came in a later statement. The fourth-quarter and full-year forecasts remain the company’s main forward-looking figures in its announcement.