In the latest trading session, Qualys (QLYS) closed at $134.13, marking a -0.69% move from the previous day. This change was narrower than the S&P 500’s 1.14% loss on the day. Elsewhere, the Dow lost 1.23%, while the tech-heavy Nasdaq lost 0.36%.

– Zacks

Heading into today, shares of the maker of security-analysis software had lost 1.73% over the past month, outpacing the Computer and Technology sector’s loss of 4.36% and lagging the S&P 500’s loss of 1.37% in that time.

Wall Street will be looking for positivity from Qualys as it approaches its next earnings report date. The company is expected to report EPS of $0.80, up 12.68% from the prior-year quarter. Meanwhile, the Zacks Consensus Estimate for revenue is projecting net sales of $108.53 million, up 14.48% from the year-ago period.

Looking at the full year, our Zacks Consensus Estimates suggest analysts are expecting earnings of $3.18 per share and revenue of $409.92 million. These totals would mark changes of +10.8% and +12.94%, respectively, from last year.

Any recent changes to analyst estimates for Qualys should also be noted by investors. Recent revisions tend to reflect the latest near-term business trends. As such, positive estimate revisions reflect analyst optimism about the company’s business and profitability.

Our research shows that these estimate changes are directly correlated with near-term stock prices. Investors can capitalize on this by using the Zacks Rank. This model considers these estimate changes and provides a simple, actionable rating system.

Ranging from #1 (Strong Buy) to #5 (Strong Sell), the Zacks Rank system has a proven, outside-audited track record of outperformance, with #1 stocks returning an average of +25% annually since 1988. Over the past month, the Zacks Consensus EPS estimate remained stagnant. Qualys is holding a Zacks Rank of #3 (Hold) right now.

Looking at its valuation, Qualys is holding a Forward P/E ratio of 42.43. Its industry sports an average Forward P/E of 59.12, so we one might conclude that Qualys is trading at a discount comparatively.

The Security industry is part of the Computer and Technology sector. This industry currently has a Zacks Industry Rank of 166, which puts it in the bottom 35% of all 250+ industries.

The Zacks Industry Rank gauges the strength of our individual industry groups by measuring the average Zacks Rank of the individual stocks within the groups. Our research shows that the top 50% rated industries outperform the bottom half by a factor of 2 to 1.

Make sure to utilize Zacks.com to follow all of these stock-moving metrics, and more, in the coming trading sessions.

Infrastructure Stock Boom to Sweep America

A massive push to rebuild the crumbling U.S. infrastructure will soon be underway. It’s bipartisan, urgent, and inevitable. Trillions will be spent. Fortunes will be made.

The only question is “Will you get into the right stocks early when their growth potential is greatest?”

Zacks has released a Special Report to help you do just that, and today it’s free. Discover 7 special companies that look to gain the most from construction and repair to roads, bridges, and buildings, plus cargo hauling and energy transformation on an almost unimaginable scale.

Download FREE: How to Profit from Trillions on Spending for Infrastructure >>

Want the latest recommendations from Zacks Investment Research? Today, you can download 7 Best Stocks for the Next 30 Days. Click to get this free report

 

Qualys, Inc. (QLYS): Free Stock Analysis Report

 

To read this article on Zacks.com click here.