TD Cowen Adjusts Price Target on Qualys to $200 From $170, Maintains Hold Rating

In October 2026, critical flaws in PHP led to a rush for cybersecurity patches, dubbed Black October. Large companies can secure systems, but smaller firms struggle. Five cybersecurity stocks saw gains: Qualys (QLYS) +3.6%, Tenable (TENB) +5.1%, Cloudflare (NET) +7.1%, CrowdStrike (CRWD) +7.1%, and Okta (OKTA) +6%. Each company's role in the patching process and financials were detailed.

Qualys (QLYS) reported Q2 revenue of $182.2M, up 11% YoY, beating estimates and rising 14% since results. SentinelOne (S) reported $292M, up 20.6%, but missed EPS guidance, rising 3.4%. Palo Alto Networks (PANW) reported $3.41B, up 34.4%, beating estimates and rising 3.6%. Okta (OKTA) reported $805M, up 10.6%, beating estimates and rising 41.8%.

CrowdStrike (CRWD) and Palo Alto Networks (PANW) shares jumped over 14% and 13% respectively, as investors shifted from semiconductors to cybersecurity stocks. The surge followed warnings from AI leaders about AI risks, including cyberattacks. Analysts highlight growing demand for cybersecurity due to AI threats, with Gartner forecasting $249B in global security spending by 2026. Both companies reported strong recent results and are positioned to benefit from AI-driven security needs.

Fortinet (FTNT) and Qualys (QLYS) are highlighted as cybersecurity stocks benefiting from AI safety concerns. FTNT reported Q2 revenue of $2.05B (+26% YoY) and raised 2026 revenue outlook to $8.02B-$8.18B. QLYS reported Q2 revenue of $182.2M (+11% YoY) and raised 2026 revenue guidance to $732M-$738M. Both companies are positioned to capitalize on AI security needs.

Qualys Inc. (QLYS) stock rose 15.06% on September 14, 2026, driven by strong cybersecurity demand. Wedbush downgraded QLYS to Neutral from Outperform but raised its price target to $175. The company reported $182.2M in quarterly revenue, $52.4M in net income, and strong margins. QLYS trades at 26x earnings and 7.4x sales, with $250M in cash and low debt. The stock's volatility presents trading opportunities amid AI-driven cybersecurity competition.

Qualys Inc. (QLYS) stock rose 15.06% on September 14, 2026, driven by strong cybersecurity demand. Wedbush downgraded QLYS from Outperform to Neutral but raised its price target to $175 from $125. The stock dropped 6-6.4% intraday post-downgrade. QLYS reported strong financials with $182.2M revenue, 83.3% gross margin, and 29% profit margin. The stock trades at a P/E of 26 and price-to-sales of 7.4.