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Qualys (QLYS) shares are trending slightly higher so far this month, showing around a 1% positive return over the past week. This comes at a time when the broader technology sector continues to face market volatility. Investors are keeping an eye on valuation and trends after recent pullbacks.

See our latest analysis for Qualys.

Zooming out, Qualys’s share price has slipped nearly 8% year-to-date but still posts a positive 1-year total shareholder return of around 6%. This reflects a mix of investor caution and enduring belief in its growth story. The momentum has faded recently, although its longer-term track record highlights an ability to deliver for shareholders.

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With Qualys trading below its analyst price target and fundamentals showing steady growth, the key question now is whether the stock is undervalued and offering potential upside, or if the market has already priced in future gains.

The current narrative fair value for Qualys lands at $141, which is noticeably higher than its last closing price of $128.05. This gap highlights ongoing optimism about the company’s prospects and sets the foundation for the key thinking driving this estimate.

Adoption of Qualys’ new cloud-native risk operations center (ROC) and Agentic AI platform positions the company as a leading pre-breach risk management provider. It offers unified orchestration, automation, and remediation across both Qualys and non-Qualys data. This opens incremental greenfield opportunities and should support higher ARPU and expanded TAM, leading to durable revenue and earnings growth.

Read the complete narrative.

What exactly propels this bullish narrative? Behind the ambitious price target are bold expectations about rising average customer spend, new platform launches and growing demand from global organizations. Want to see how much future growth, profit expansion and technology innovation must deliver in reality to make these numbers stack up? Find out what the consensus is betting on and what needs to go right by reading the full breakdown.

Result: Fair Value of $141 (UNDERVALUED)

Have a read of the narrative in full and understand what’s behind the forecasts.

However, rapid AI innovation and new pricing models could disrupt Qualys’s momentum if competitors advance more quickly in development or if customer adoption trends unexpectedly shift.

Find out about the key risks to this Qualys narrative.

Looking at Qualys through the lens of its price-to-earnings ratio, we see some interesting contrasts. The company’s ratio sits at 25x, which is lower than the US Software industry average of 33.3x and well below its peer average of 45.1x. However, it is slightly above the fair ratio of 24.5x, suggesting the market may be pricing in a mild premium for future potential.

See what the numbers say about this price — find out in our valuation breakdown.

If you have a different perspective or want to dig into the figures on your own, you can build a narrative in under three minutes with Do it your way.

A great starting point for your Qualys research is our analysis highlighting 2 key rewards and 1 important warning sign that could impact your investment decision.

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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.

Companies discussed in this article include QLYS.

Have feedback on this article? Concerned about the content? Get in touch with us directly. Alternatively, email editorial-team@simplywallst.com

Palomar Holdings (PLMR) has been in the spotlight following a recent mix of cautious and optimistic signals from institutional investors. Changes in hedge fund positions, along with the completion of key reinsurance programs, have prompted renewed market attention.

See our latest analysis for Palomar Holdings.

After navigating a stretch of cautious sentiment related to reinsurance renewals and hurricane season risks, Palomar Holdings is showing more stable momentum. Its latest share price sits at $113.25, and while the short-term returns have been muted, the 1-year total shareholder return of 23.5% highlights growing long-term optimism despite recent volatility.

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With the stock trading below analyst price targets and showing solid revenue and income growth, the question remains: Is Palomar Holdings undervalued at current levels, or are investors already pricing in future momentum?

With Palomar Holdings closing at $113.25 versus the most popular narrative fair value of $153.33, the case for upside is compelling and getting attention as analyst expectations shift.

Ongoing investment in proprietary technology, data analytics, and advanced underwriting disciplines is improving risk assessment and pricing accuracy, already reflected in strong combined ratios and low loss ratios. This should continue to enhance underwriting profitability and expand net margins over time.

Read the complete narrative.

Curious about what’s behind this bullish fair value? The narrative hangs on rapid growth projections. One key assumption could be surprisingly aggressive. There’s a crucial forward valuation embedded here that you may not expect for an insurer. Dig in to discover the foundational numbers and the future profit model that could shake up price targets.

Result: Fair Value of $153.33 (UNDERVALUED)

Have a read of the narrative in full and understand what’s behind the forecasts.

However, intensifying competition and Palomar’s reliance on catastrophe-exposed property lines could quickly shift profitability and challenge the current growth narrative.

Find out about the key risks to this Palomar Holdings narrative.

While the market’s favorite narrative points to a bargain, looking at the company’s price-to-earnings ratio offers a more cautious perspective. Palomar trades at 19.6 times earnings, which is notably higher than the US Insurance industry average of 13.5 times and a peer average of 13.8 times. The fair ratio, which is what the market could eventually gravitate toward, is just 16.2 times. This substantial gap suggests that Palomar’s shares could be at risk of a pullback if expectations shift. Could these elevated multiples limit future upside?

See what the numbers say about this price — find out in our valuation breakdown.

If you have a different perspective or want to dig deeper into Palomar Holdings’ story, you can build your own narrative in just a few minutes. Do it your way

A great starting point for your Palomar Holdings research is our analysis highlighting 4 key rewards and 1 important warning sign that could impact your investment decision.

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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.

Companies discussed in this article include PLMR.

Have feedback on this article? Concerned about the content? Get in touch with us directly. Alternatively, email editorial-team@simplywallst.com