Qualys, Inc. (NASDAQ:QLYS) defied analyst predictions to release its third-quarter results, which were ahead of market expectations. The company beat forecasts, with revenue of US$154m, some 2.1% above estimates, and statutory earnings per share (EPS) coming in at US$1.24, 35% ahead of expectations. The analysts typically update their forecasts at each earnings report, and we can judge from their estimates whether their view of the company has changed or if there are any new concerns to be aware of. We thought readers would find it interesting to see the analysts latest (statutory) post-earnings forecasts for next year.

View our latest analysis for Qualys

Taking into account the latest results, the current consensus from Qualys' 24 analysts is for revenues of US$651.3m in 2025. This would reflect a notable 9.8% increase on its revenue over the past 12 months. Statutory earnings per share are expected to decrease 6.7% to US$4.34 in the same period. Before this earnings report, the analysts had been forecasting revenues of US$645.6m and earnings per share (EPS) of US$4.06 in 2025. So the consensus seems to have become somewhat more optimistic on Qualys' earnings potential following these results.

The analysts have been lifting their price targets on the back of the earnings upgrade, with the consensus price target rising 6.9% to US$146. The consensus price target is just an average of individual analyst targets, so - it could be handy to see how wide the range of underlying estimates is. There are some variant perceptions on Qualys, with the most bullish analyst valuing it at US$175 and the most bearish at US$114 per share. This shows there is still a bit of diversity in estimates, but analysts don't appear to be totally split on the stock as though it might be a success or failure situation.

These estimates are interesting, but it can be useful to paint some more broad strokes when seeing how forecasts compare, both to the Qualys' past performance and to peers in the same industry. We would highlight that Qualys' revenue growth is expected to slow, with the forecast 7.8% annualised growth rate until the end of 2025 being well below the historical 14% p.a. growth over the last five years. By way of comparison, the other companies in this industry with analyst coverage are forecast to grow their revenue at 12% per year. So it's pretty clear that, while revenue growth is expected to slow down, the wider industry is also expected to grow faster than Qualys.

The Bottom Line

The most important thing here is that the analysts upgraded their earnings per share estimates, suggesting that there has been a clear increase in optimism towards Qualys following these results. Fortunately, the analysts also reconfirmed their revenue estimates, suggesting that it's tracking in line with expectations. Although our data does suggest that Qualys' revenue is expected to perform worse than the wider industry. We note an upgrade to the price target, suggesting that the analysts believes the intrinsic value of the business is likely to improve over time.

Keeping that in mind, we still think that the longer term trajectory of the business is much more important for investors to consider. We have estimates - from multiple Qualys analysts - going out to 2026, and you can see them free on our platform here.

Another thing to consider is whether management and directors have been buying or selling stock recently. We provide an overview of all open market stock trades for the last twelve months on our platform, here.

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This article by Simply Wall St is general in nature. We provide commentary based on historical data and analyst forecasts only using an unbiased methodology and our articles are not intended to be financial advice. It does not constitute a recommendation to buy or sell any stock, and does not take account of your objectives, or your financial situation. We aim to bring you long-term focused analysis driven by fundamental data. Note that our analysis may not factor in the latest price-sensitive company announcements or qualitative material. Simply Wall St has no position in any stocks mentioned.