Quinstreet (QNST)
NASDAQ:QNST
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Quinstreet
(NASDAQ:QNST)
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Rating:73Outperform
Price Target:
$12.50
▼(-1.96% Downside)
Action:Reiterated
Date:05/09/26
The score is driven primarily by strong earnings-call momentum and guidance (record results, strong Q4 outlook, and robust free-cash-flow expectations), reinforced by low leverage and solid cash generation. The main constraints are inconsistent GAAP profitability (negative TTM net margin) and a mixed technical backdrop with the stock still below its 200-day moving average; valuation is also less supportive due to a negative P/E and no dividend yield provided.
Positive Factors
Strong free cash flow
Consistent, high free cash flow provides durable internal funding for product investment, organic growth and tuck‑ins, and supports opportunistic capital returns. This reduces reliance on external financing, improving resilience through cycles despite volatile GAAP earnings.
Negative Factors
Inconsistent GAAP profitability
Despite cash generation, persistent TTM net losses mean reported profitability is inconsistent. This limits sustainable return metrics, can constrain stakeholder confidence, and implies that operational cash flow may not reliably convert into stable GAAP earnings without structural margin improvement.
Read all positive and negative factors
Positive Factors
Negative Factors
Strong free cash flow
Consistent, high free cash flow provides durable internal funding for product investment, organic growth and tuck‑ins, and supports opportunistic capital returns. This reduces reliance on external financing, improving resilience through cycles despite volatile GAAP earnings.
Read all positive factors
Quinstreet Key Performance Indicators (KPIs)
Quinstreet (QNST) vs. SPDR S&P 500 ETF (SPY)
Market Cap
$653.73M
Dividend YieldN/A
Average Volume (3M)505.42K
Price to Earnings (P/E)23.3
Beta (1Y)1.11
Revenue Growth14.75%
EPS GrowthN/A
CountryUS
Employees899
SectorCommunication Services
Sector Strength97
IndustryAdvertising Agencies
Share Statistics
EPS (TTM)1.15
Shares Outstanding57,445,370
10 Day Avg. Volume567,570
30 Day Avg. Volume505,424
Financial Highlights & Ratios
PEG Ratio-1.69
Price to Book (P/B)3.73
Price to Sales (P/S)0.83
P/FCF Ratio10.97
Enterprise Value/Market Cap0.91
Enterprise Value/Revenue0.50
Enterprise Value/Gross Profit4.78
Enterprise Value/Ebitda13.85
Forecast
1Y Price Target
$19.00Price Target Upside49.02% Upside
Rating ConsensusStrong Buy
Number of Analyst Covering6
EPS Forecast (FY)1.28
Revenue Forecast (FY)$1.27B
Quinstreet Business Overview & Revenue Model
Company Description
QuinStreet, Inc., an online performance marketing company, provides customer acquisition services for its clients in the United States and internationally. The company offers online marketing services, such as qualified clicks, leads, calls, appli...
How the Company Makes Money
QuinStreet makes money primarily by generating consumer leads and customer acquisitions for advertisers and earning fees that are tied to performance. Its core model is to attract consumers through its owned-and-operated websites (and related mark...
Quinstreet Earnings Call Summary
Earnings Call Date:May 07, 2026
(Q3-2026)
| % Change Since: |
Next Earnings Date:Aug 12, 2026
Earnings Call Sentiment Positive
The call presents a strongly positive operational and financial picture: record revenue and adjusted EBITDA, robust cash and low leverage, strong Q4 guidance, accelerating home services growth after the HomeBuddy acquisition, and measurable AI-driven productivity and media revenue gains. Lowlights are mainly execution and macro risks (mix effects on margins from auto dominance, pressure on lower-income consumer-facing products like AmOne, interest-rate-related client timing, and the early-stage nature of new AI ad platforms). These risks are described but appear manageable relative to the company’s momentum and guidance.Positive Updates
Record Quarterly Revenue
Revenue of $346.1 million in fiscal Q3, a company record and up 28% year-over-year.
Negative Updates
Concentration and Mix Effects on Margins
Historically heavy mix in auto insurance (a lower media-margin category) reduced media margin percentage; management expects mix normalization to lift margins but current mix has been a drag.
Read all updates
Q3-2026 Updates
Positive
Negative
Record Quarterly Revenue
Revenue of $346.1 million in fiscal Q3, a company record and up 28% year-over-year.
Read all positive updates
Company Guidance
QuinStreet guided fiscal Q4 revenue of $350–370 million (implying at least 34% year‑over‑year growth) and adjusted EBITDA of $37–43 million (implying at least 67% year‑over‑year growth), which would top Q3’s company records of $346.1 million revenue and $29.6 million adjusted EBITDA (Q3 adjusted net income $17.8M, $0.31/share); the company finished Q3 with $102 million cash and roughly $54 million net debt (net debt <0.5x annualized adjusted EBITDA even after the $190 million HomeBuddy acquisition), expects to generate well over $100 million of additional free cash flow in the next 12 months, and gave an early FY2027 outlook calling for strong double‑digit revenue and adjusted EBITDA growth year‑over‑year on a no‑new‑acquisitions basis.Quinstreet Financial Statement Overview
Summary
Income Statement
56
Neutral
Balance Sheet
82
Very Positive
Cash Flow
78
Positive
| Breakdown | TTM | Jun 2025 | Jun 2024 | Jun 2023 | Jun 2022 | Jun 2021 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Income Statement | ||||||
| Total Revenue | 1.18B | 1.09B | 613.51M | 580.62M | 582.10M | 578.49M |
| Gross Profit | 123.85M | 110.87M | 46.25M | 48.52M | 53.73M | 70.53M |
| EBITDA | 42.76M | 30.54M | -5.76M | -1.42M | 11.23M | 46.83M |
| Net Income | 65.33M | 4.71M | -31.33M | -68.87M | -5.25M | 23.55M |
Balance Sheet | ||||||
| Total Assets | 704.34M | 431.11M | 368.55M | 337.15M | 419.91M | 449.51M |
| Cash, Cash Equivalents and Short-Term Investments | 102.04M | 101.08M | 50.49M | 73.68M | 96.44M | 110.32M |
| Total Debt | 5.63M | 10.20M | 10.97M | 4.58M | 3.86M | 8.54M |
| Total Liabilities | 393.95M | 187.06M | 151.72M | 107.35M | 133.91M | 154.37M |
| Stockholders Equity | 310.39M | 244.04M | 216.82M | 229.80M | 286.00M | 295.15M |
Cash Flow | ||||||
| Free Cash Flow | 99.48M | 82.91M | 6.69M | -3.17M | 21.16M | 48.65M |
| Operating Cash Flow | 108.05M | 84.98M | 12.04M | 11.84M | 28.67M | 50.62M |
| Investing Cash Flow | -118.04M | -11.44M | -22.73M | -15.13M | -9.22M | -36.46M |
| Financing Cash Flow | 30.22M | -23.00M | -12.51M | -19.46M | -33.31M | -11.31M |
Quinstreet Technical Analysis
Negative
12.75
Price Trends
12.34
Negative
12.67
Negative
13.82
Negative
Market Momentum
-0.28
Positive
46.66
Neutral
25.02
Neutral
Evaluating momentum and price trends is crucial in stock analysis to make informed investment decisions. For QNST, the sentiment is Negative. The current price of 12.75 is above the 20-day moving average (MA) of 12.52, above the 50-day MA of 12.34, and below the 200-day MA of 13.82, indicating a bearish trend. The MACD of -0.28 indicates Positive momentum. The RSI at 46.66 is Neutral, neither overbought nor oversold. The STOCH value of 25.02 is Neutral, not indicating any strong overbought or oversold conditions. Overall, these indicators collectively point to a Negative sentiment for QNST.
Quinstreet Risk Analysis
Quinstreet disclosed 44 risk factors in its most recent earnings report. Quinstreet reported the most risks in the "Finance & Corporate" category.
Finance & Corporate - Financial and accounting risks. Risks related to the execution of corporate activity and strategy
Latest Risks Added 0 New Risks
Quinstreet Peers Comparison
UnderperformOutperform
Sector (60)
Name | Overall Rating | Market Cap | P/E Ratio | ROE | Dividend Yield | Revenue Growth | EPS Growth |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
73 Outperform | $653.73M | 23.32 | 23.85% | ― | 14.75% | ― | |
62 Neutral | $1.09B | 8.90 | 15.49% | 5.41% | 0.55% | 82.53% | |
62 Neutral | $1.52B | 17.72 | 2.55% | ― | -1.81% | -35.73% | |
62 Neutral | $987.57M | 30.98 | -10.81% | 1.29% | 14.04% | -1310.49% | |
60 Neutral | $48.67B | 4.58 | -11.27% | 4.14% | 2.83% | -41.78% | |
59 Neutral | $812.09M | 28.87 | 10.17% | ― | -0.43% | -15.84% | |
55 Neutral | $1.59B | -30.40 | 2.52% | ― | 4.48% | 868.83% |
* Communication Services Sector Average
QNST
Quinstreet
11.99
-3.17
-20.91%
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CRTO
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17.24
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EEX
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4.98
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10.57%
Glossary
BuyA stock rated as a "Buy" is expected to perform better than the overall market or a specific benchmark over the near-to-medium term. This rating suggests the stock is likely to deliver higher returns compared to other stocks in the same sector or market index. Note: This is not investment advice; please consult a financial advisor before making investment decisions.
HoldA stock rated as a "Hold" is expected to perform in line with the overall market or a specific benchmark. This rating indicates that the stock is neither particularly compelling nor unfavorable for investment. Note: This is not investment advice; please consult a financial advisor before making investment decisions.
SellA stock rated as a "Sell" is expected to perform worse than the overall market or a specific benchmark over the near-to-medium term. This rating suggests the stock may deliver lower returns compared to other stocks in the same sector or market index. Note: This is not investment advice; please consult a financial advisor before making investment decisions.
Disclaimer
This AI Analyst Stock Report is automatically generated by our AI systems using advanced algorithms and publicly available financial, technical, and market data. While the information provided aims to be accurate and insightful, it is intended for informational purposes only and should not be considered financial advice. Any content created by an AI (Artificial Intelligence) system may contain inaccuracies and/or contain errors. Investing in stocks carries inherent risks, and past performance is not indicative of future results. This report does not account for your personal financial circumstances, objectives, or risk tolerance. Always conduct your own research or consult with a qualified financial advisor before making investment decisions. The analysis and recommendations provided are based on historical and current data and may not fully reflect future market conditions or unexpected developments. Neither the creators of this report nor its affiliated entities guarantee the accuracy, completeness, or reliability of the information presented. Use this report at your own discretion and risk.