QUINSTREET INC (QNST)
Communication Services · performance marketing services · NASDAQ
QuinStreet is a performance marketing marketplace that connects high-intent consumers with brands in financial and home services through scalable, measurable digital inquiry channels.
What QUINSTREET INC does
QuinStreet is a provider of performance marketing technology and services, focusing on customer acquisition for the financial services and home services industries. The company delivers qualified consumer inquiries—such as clicks, leads, calls, and applications—to clients, typically operating on a cost-per-inquiry basis. By utilizing its proprietary technology platform and media assets, QuinStreet matches consumers with service providers to generate measurable marketing outcomes.
Themes: digital advertising, customer acquisition, performance marketing, fintech infrastructure, lead generation, financial services marketing, home services marketing
Fundamentals
- Price$15.99 as of 2026-10-08 close
- Market cap$913M as of 2026-08-21 (share count; price 2026-10-08)
- 1-year return+5.7% 2025-10-08 close $15.13 → 2026-10-08 close $15.99
- P/E11.41 as of 2026-10-08
- Net margin+6.3% FY2026, SEC XBRL
- Gross margin+11.3% FY2026, SEC XBRL
- ROE+25.1% FY2026, SEC XBRL
- Debt / equity0.22 as of 2026-09-02
- Revenue growth (YoY)+18.3% as of 2026-09-02
- Revenue CAGR (3y)+30.6% SEC XBRL
- Beta1.12 as of 2026-09-02
- Last reported earnings2026-08-06 SEC EDGAR Form 8-K (Item 2.02)
How QNST compares in its sector
- price-to-earnings ratiobottom 25% 69 covered Communication Services peers, as of 2026-10-08
- net profit marginmiddle range 127 covered Communication Services peers, as of 2026-09-02
- operating marginmiddle range 123 covered Communication Services peers, as of 2026-09-02
- gross marginbottom 10% 25 covered Communication Services peers, as of 2026-09-02
- return on equitytop 25% 113 covered Communication Services peers, as of 2026-09-02
- 3-year revenue CAGRtop 10% 123 covered Communication Services peers
- free cash flow (absolute dollars, latest fiscal year)middle range 115 covered Communication Services peers, as of FY2026
Position among covered Communication Services companies that report each metric (minimum 5 peers). A relative position within our covered catalog — not a valuation, quality, or investment judgment. A higher percentile is simply a higher value (for P/E, more expensive on earnings — never "better"). Informational only.
How QUINSTREET INC looks technically
QUINSTREET INC (QNST) is trading 11.2% above its 200-day average, the long-term trend line — a longer-term uptrend. Its 50-day average crossed above its 200-day average about 59 trading days ago — a "golden cross", a bullish long-term signal. A trend is forming but not yet strong — ADX, a 0–100 trend-strength gauge, is 22 (a reading of 25+ marks a strong trend). Momentum is neutral — its 14-day RSI (a 0–100 momentum gauge) is 47, neither overbought (above 70) nor oversold (below 30). MACD, a trend-momentum gauge, turned bullish about 2 trading days ago (its momentum flipped positive). It made a new 20-day low about 9 trading days ago. It is 28.3% below its highest point of the past year.
Trend
9
| Distance from the 200-day | it is trading 11.2% above its 200-day average, the long-term trend line — a longer-term uptrend | +11.2% |
|---|---|---|
| 50-day moving average | its average price over the last 50 trading days — a short-term trend line — is $17.77 | $17.77 |
| 200-day moving average | its average price over the last 200 trading days — the long-term trend line — is $14.38 | $14.38 |
| Swing structure | each recent peak has been lower than the one before it and each dip deeper — the pattern chart-watchers call a downtrend, which describes where price has already been and not where it goes next | lower highs and lower lows |
| Last swing turn | its last significant turn was a swing low 14 calendar days ago — the swings before that are what the structure reading is measured on | 14 sessions |
| Wave structure | its recent swings can be read as a five-part downward sequence — what Elliott-wave chartists call an impulse — now in the fourth leg, a pullback against that downward direction; the labelling fails if price closes above 17.54. It is one of several labellings that fit, and it describes the swings already printed, not what comes next. The same swings also read as a completed three-part correction. | possible downward five-wave sequence, in wave 4 (one of several readings) |
| Since the 50/200 cross | its 50-day average crossed above its 200-day average about 59 trading days ago — a "golden cross", a bullish long-term signal | 59 sessions |
| Above the 200-day after a dip | it recently dipped to its 200-day average (the long-term trend line) and has since climbed back above it — now about 11.2% above | +11.2% |
| Trend strength (14-day ADX) | a trend is forming but not yet strong — ADX, a 0–100 trend-strength gauge, is 22 (a reading of 25+ marks a strong trend) | 21.8 |
Momentum
3
| 14-day RSI | momentum is neutral — its 14-day RSI (a 0–100 momentum gauge) is 47, neither overbought (above 70) nor oversold (below 30) | 46.9 |
|---|---|---|
| Position in its 14-day range | it is trading around the middle of its 14-day range ($13.96 to $17.73) — its "stochastic" reading is 54 out of 100, where 0 would mean closing exactly at the 14-session low and 100 exactly at the high. This measures WHERE the price sits inside its recent range, which is a different question from the RSI beside it: RSI is a momentum gauge, measuring how FAST the price has been moving, so a stock can drift quietly to the bottom of its range with an ordinary RSI, or fall sharply and still sit in the middle. It has been climbing within that range over the last few sessions. | 53.9 |
| Since the MACD crossed zero | MACD, a trend-momentum gauge, turned bullish about 2 trading days ago (its momentum flipped positive) | 2 sessions |
Range
12
| 52-week high | its highest closing price over the past year (about 252 trading days) was $22.29 | $22.29 |
|---|---|---|
| From the 52-week high | it is 28.3% below its 52-week high (its highest price of the past year) | -28.3% |
| Above the 52-week low | it is 55.5% above its 52-week low (its lowest price of the past year) | +55.5% |
| Below the 52-week high | it is 28.3% below its highest point of the past year | 28.3% |
| Since a 20-day breakout | it made a new 20-day low about 9 trading days ago | 9 sessions |
| Since a 55-day breakout | it made a new 55-day low about 9 trading days ago | 9 sessions |
| All-time high | its highest closing price on record is $26.27 (set on 2024-11-05) | $26.27 |
| Given back of the 52-week move | over the past year its closes ranged ($10.56 to $22.02), and it has given back around half of its rise from last year’s low — 53% of it. Chart-watchers call 61.8%-65% given back the "golden pocket" — for this company that is $14.57 to $14.94. It is watched widely enough that orders cluster there, which is the honest reason it matters; it is not a forecast. | 52.6% |
| From the all-time high | it is 39.1% below its all-time high | -39.1% |
| Nearest price level | it is trading 1.0% above a support level at $15.84 — a price it turned at twice since 2025-08-27, most recently on 2025-11-07. Since 2024-10-08 it has 10 such levels below the current price and 8 above. Levels like these describe where the price has reversed or paused before; they are not a forecast of where it will go. | -1.0% |
| All-time low | its lowest closing price on record is $2.61 (set on 2016-11-15) | $2.61 |
| Above the all-time low | it is 512.6% above its all-time low | +512.6% |
Volatility
5
| Band width vs its own 6 months | day-to-day price swings are wider than usual versus its own recent 6-month history (wider than about 72% of it) | 72nd percentile |
|---|---|---|
| Typical daily range | in a typical session it travels about $0.6957 between its high and its low — about 4.4% of its price. That is its "average true range" over the last 14 sessions, which also counts the distance from the previous close, so a day that opens well away from yesterday counts as the large move it was | $0.6957 |
| Bollinger bands (20-day, ±2σ) | most of its recent trading has stayed between about $12.82 and $19.12 — the "Bollinger bands", a range drawn two standard deviations either side of its 20-day average price, which widens when the stock gets more volatile and narrows when it settles | $12.82 – $15.97 – $19.12 |
| Typical daily range (% of price) | its price moves about 4.4% in a typical session — about typical for the companies we cover. This is the average gap between a session's high and low over the last 14 sessions, counting overnight moves, expressed against the current price so it can be compared with companies trading at any price | 4.3% |
| Stretch from the 200-day average | it is trading 2.3 daily ranges above its 200-day average price (11.2% above it in plain percentage terms) — a way of asking how far it has stretched from its own average in units of how far it normally moves in a day, so a calm company and a jumpy one can be compared on the same scale | 2.3 daily ranges above its 200-day average |
Volume
1
| Volume vs its 30-day average | trading volume is about normal versus its 30-day average | 1.04× |
|---|
Analyst
2
| Change in the average price target | analysts' average price target is unchanged from the prior reading | 0.0% |
|---|---|---|
| Change in the consensus rating | the analyst consensus rating is unchanged since the prior reading | unchanged |
Candlestick patterns
2
| Since a doji | 2 sessions ago it opened and closed at almost the same price after trading through a wider range — a "doji", the classic picture of buyers and sellers finishing the session level | 2 sessions ago |
|---|---|---|
| Since a bullish engulfing | 7 sessions ago it opened below the previous session's close and finished above that session's open — a "bullish engulfing" pair, where one up day more than undid the down day before it | 7 sessions ago |
Price gaps
2
| Gap at the open | it opened on 2026-10-08 at essentially the same price it closed at the session before — no meaningful overnight gap | 0.0% |
|---|---|---|
| Gap filled | a 2.0% gap up opened on 2026-09-14 has been "filled" 18 sessions ago — price traded back through the level the gap left behind, and it closed again during the very session that opened it | 18 sessions ago |
Price streaks
1
| Closing streak | it has closed higher 5 sessions in a row, a +7.17% move over the run — an unbroken run of up days, which describes what has already happened and says nothing about the next session | 5 sessions up |
|---|
Relative strength
4
| vs market, 1 month | over the past 1 month this stock lagged the market by 12.6 percentage points (the stock lost 11.6% while the market gained 1.0%) | -12.6% |
|---|---|---|
| vs market, 3 months | over the past 3 months this stock lagged the market by 6.0 percentage points (the stock lost 2.1% while the market gained 3.8%) | -6.0% |
| vs market, 6 months | over the past 6 months this stock beat the market by 14.6 percentage points (the stock gained 32.0% while the market gained 17.5%) | +14.6% |
| vs market, 12 months | over the past 12 months this stock lagged the market by 9.3 percentage points (the stock gained 5.7% while the market gained 15.0%) | -9.3% |
Signal agreement
2
| Bullish technical signals | 4 of the 9 technical signals we can compute for it are currently in a bullish state: a "golden cross" — its 50-day average is above its 200-day, trading above its 200-day average, MACD momentum is positive, outperforming the market over 6 months — these describe past price behaviour, not a forecast | 4 of 9 |
|---|---|---|
| Bearish technical signals | 1 of the 9 technical signals we can compute for it is currently in a bearish state: trading below the Ichimoku cloud — these describe past price behaviour, not a forecast | 1 of 9 |
Trend (Ichimoku cloud)
1
| Vs the Ichimoku cloud | trading 8.4% below the Ichimoku cloud — a band drawn from where its own highs and lows sat up to 2026-09-01 and projected forward over today's price, the side traders read as an established downtrend, with the band above acting as the level that would have to be cleared. The band itself is thick, spanning 11.6% of the share price, which is taken to mean a barrier that has held for a while and takes effort to cross. | -8.4% |
|---|
Volume-weighted price
2
| Vs this year’s average price paid | the price is 10% above the average price paid so far this year, so the typical buyer over that stretch is showing a gain. That average is $14.60 — a volume-weighted average of daily closes over 190 sessions, not a true tick-by-tick VWAP. | +9.5% |
|---|---|---|
| Vs the average paid since it last reported | the price is 12% below the average price paid since it last reported on 2026-08-06 (its 8-K), so the typical buyer over that stretch is under water. That average is $18.15 — a volume-weighted average of daily closes over 45 sessions, not a true tick-by-tick VWAP. | -11.9% |
Price levels it has turned at before
QNST last closed at $15.99 on 2026-10-08. Since 2024-10-08 it has turned at 10 prices below its last close and 8 above; the 3 nearest below and the 3 nearest above are listed, nearest first.
| Level | Side | Distance | Evidence |
|---|---|---|---|
| $15.84 | Support | 1.0% below the last close | turned there twice · 2025-08-27 to 2025-11-07 |
| $16.37 | Resistance | 2.4% above the last close | turned there four times · 2025-06-09 to 2026-07-29 |
| $15.46 | Support | 3.4% below the last close | turned there three times · 2025-10-22 to 2026-01-22 |
| $16.82 | Resistance | 5.2% above the last close | turned there three times · 2025-03-11 to 2025-07-25 |
| $14.99 | Support | 6.2% below the last close | turned there six times · 2025-05-23 to 2026-07-23 |
| $17.12 | Resistance | 7.1% above the last close | turned there twice · 2025-08-04 to 2025-09-19 |
A level is a price this company reversed or paused at more than once — they describe past behaviour, not a forecast of where the price will go.
Wave structure
Its recent swings can be read as a five-part downward sequence — what Elliott-wave chartists call an impulse — now in leg 4 of five, a pullback against that direction.
This labelling fails — stops being a possible reading at all — if it closes above $17.54.
This is one of several labellings that fit the same swings, so treat it as a reading rather than the reading. It was chosen from 2 labellings that survived the rules, counting shorter readings of the same bars.
On past moves of this shape the leg has usually ended somewhere between $15.17 and $16.52 — that is where it has tended to end if the count holds, not a forecast of where the price goes.
Alternate reading: The same swings also read as a completed three-part correction, which fails on a close below $13.96.
This reading has stood for 6 trading days, since 2026-10-01.
Read from daily closes as of 2026-10-08.
An Elliott-wave count describes the swings already printed and the level that would disprove it. It is not a forecast, a target, or advice.
Screens: Trading above the 200-day moving average · Tested and reclaimed 200-day support · Pulled back from the 12-month high · MACD just crossed bullish (12/26/9) · beating the market · On a winning streak (5+ higher closes in a row) | Learn: moving average · golden cross · adx · rsi · macd · breakout · fifty two week high low
Based on daily closing prices as of 2026-10-08. Describes past price behavior only — informational, not financial advice.
Analyst consensus
- Consensus ratingStrong Buy (1.17 mean, 1=Strong Buy…5=Strong Sell) — 5 analysts
- Mean price target$22.80 range $21.00 – $24.00; median $23.00
Analyst estimates, as of 2026-10-04. These are third-party analyst opinions and price targets, aggregated — not a recommendation, prediction, or advice from stocks-llm. Informational only.
Analyst EPS estimate for QNST
- Consensus EPS estimate$0.39 next reporting period, as of 2026-10-04
- Estimate change, 30 days$0.00 (0.0%) from $0.39, on 2026-08-30, 35-day window
- Readings revised upward13% of 8 comparable readings
The consensus estimate for the next reporting period, and how it has moved between readings of that SAME period. A change is measured only between readings estimating one period — when a company reports, the consensus moves to the next quarter and the two numbers are not comparable. Informational only, not a forecast and not advice.
Key risks (from latest filing)
["Dependence on search engine algorithms and policies, which can adversely impact traffic and monetization.","Intense competition for high-quality media sources and rising media acquisition costs.","Sensitivity to regulatory and competitive shifts within the financial services and insurance industries."]
What changed in the latest 10-Q
AI-assisted comparison of QNST's 10-Q filed 2026-05-08 against the prior one filed 2026-02-06.
Management's Discussion & Analysis (MD&A)
The two filings could not be meaningfully compared for this section.
Risk Factors
- Added:
- Nine Months Ended March 31, 2026 financial data added to Statements of Operations (filed 2026-05-08)
- Goodwill increased from $125,056 thousand to $261,798 thousand as of March 31, 2026 (filed 2026-05-08)
- Intangible assets increased from $28,475 thousand to $71,520 thousand as of March 31, 2026 (filed 2026-05-08)
- Debt noncurrent of $70,000 thousand added as of March 31, 2026 (filed 2026-05-08)
- Post-closing payments current increased from $13,572 thousand to $25,461 thousand (filed 2026-05-08)
- Post-closing payments noncurrent increased from $10,165 thousand to $60,422 thousand (filed 2026-05-08)
- Accounts receivable increased from $135,804 thousand to $184,780 thousand (filed 2026-05-08)
- Allowances and reserves on accounts receivable increased from $1,902 thousand to $3,768 thousand (filed 2026-05-08)
- Nine Months Ended March 31, 2026 net revenue of $919,835 thousand with gross profit of $95,998 thousand (filed 2026-05-08)
- Nine Months Ended March 31, 2026 net income of $62,124 thousand with tax benefit of $47,911 thousand (filed 2026-05-08)
- Stock repurchase activity for nine months ended March 31, 2026 of 1,121,745 shares for $16,797 thousand (filed 2026-05-08)
- Nine Months Ended March 31, 2026 cash flow statement data added (filed 2026-05-08)
- Removed:
- Six Months Ended December 31, 2025 financial data removed from Statements of Operations (filed 2026-02-06)
- Six Months Ended December 31, 2025 financial data removed from cash flow statement (filed 2026-02-06)
- December 31, 2025 balance sheet data removed (filed 2026-02-06)
- December 31, 2024 stockholders' equity statement removed (filed 2026-02-06)
- Reworded:
- Balance sheet comparison date changed from December 31, 2025 to March 31, 2026 (filed 2026-05-08)
- Statements of Operations changed from three and six months ended December 31 to three and nine months ended March 31 (filed 2026-05-08)
- Line item 'Other liabilities' in current liabilities split into 'Post-closing payments, current' and 'Accrued liabilities' increased (filed 2026-05-08)
- Line item 'Other liabilities, noncurrent' changed to show split with 'Post-closing payments, noncurrent' (filed 2026-05-08)
- Stockholders' equity statements reorganized to show nine months ended March 31, 2026 period and year-to-date comparisons (filed 2026-05-08)
- Notes:
- The newer filing appears to be a Q1 2026 10-Q (for period ended March 31, 2026), while the older filing was a Q4 2025 10-Q (for period ended December 31, 2025), resulting in different reporting periods and comparable prior periods.
- The significant increases in goodwill and intangible assets suggest an acquisition or business combination occurred between December 31, 2025 and March 31, 2026.
- The addition of debt noncurrent and post-closing payments liabilities indicates significant financing or acquisition-related activities in the first quarter of 2026.
AI-assisted comparison of two SEC filing sections. It describes wording and theme changes only, makes no materiality, legal, or investment judgement, and is not financial advice. Informational only — not financial advice.
Insider activity (SEC Form 4)
0 open-market purchases and 7 open-market sales by insiders in the last 90 days, of which we have read Form 4 filings through 2026-10-04. The 5 days since 2026-10-04 have not been checked yet.
- Last 90 days · read to 2026-10-040 buys · 7 sells ($17M) — 3 selling insiders
- Last 180 days · read to 2026-10-040 buys · 9 sells ($17M) — 3 selling insiders
Activity heuristic: net selling (a transparent product heuristic from the counts above, not a prediction or advice)
Most recent open-market transaction: 2026-08-18. Based on Form 4 filings read through 2026-10-04; anything filed since is not yet included.
View full insider trading history → View SEC Form 3/4/5 filingsAsk about QNST's insider activity →
Only open-market purchases (SEC code P) and sales (code S) are counted here. Option exercises, vesting/awards, gifts, and shares withheld for taxes are excluded — they are compensation or mechanical, not open-market conviction. Sales may be planned and non-discretionary (e.g. a Rule 10b5-1 plan) and are not necessarily bearish; open-market buying is not a recommendation to buy. Informational only — not financial advice.
Institutional ownership (13F)
5 institutional 13F filers reported holding QNST as of 2026-06-30 (quarter-end position, filed within 45 days).
- Distinct 13F filers 5
- Reported shares held 14,168,359
- Reported value $207,566,457
reported quarterly holdings change (2026-03-31 → 2026-06-30): 0 new, 3 increased, 2 decreased, 0 exited. Change counts cover only managers that filed 13F reports in BOTH quarters, derived between two quarter-end snapshots — not same-day trades; a single manager is never said to have "bought" or "sold".
Institutional holdings are quarter-end long positions reported on SEC Form 13F-HR, filed up to 45 days after the quarter ends — they are delayed, are not real-time trades, exclude short positions and most non-US securities, and are not investment advice. Any increase/decrease is a reported change between two quarterly snapshots, not a same-day purchase or sale. These are quarter-end snapshots from the 13F filings on SEC EDGAR, filed within 45 days — not real-time, and any change is a difference between two quarterly reports, not a same-day trade. Informational only — not financial advice.
Ask about QNST's institutional holders → See what each manager we track holds →
Short interest (FINRA)
QNST had 5,934,263 shares of reported short interest as of the 2026-09-15 FINRA settlement date (delayed, bi-monthly; not real-time).
QNST had 10.4% of its shares outstanding sold short as of the 2026-09-15 FINRA settlement date (percent of FLOAT would be higher — float is not disclosed in the source). FINRA reported 7.7 days to cover at the same settlement.
- Reported short interest (shares) 5,934,263
- Short interest (% of shares outstanding) 10.4%
- Prior settlement (shares) 4,909,251
- Reported change 20.88%
- Days to cover (reported) 7.7
Reported to FINRA as of the 2026-09-15 settlement date. Short interest is reported to FINRA and published on a delayed, bi-monthly schedule (as of a settlement date, disseminated roughly eight business days later) — it is NOT real-time, does not cover every venue or all US trading, and is not a short-squeeze prediction or investment advice. Days-to-cover is the value FINRA reports; percent of float is not shown because the source file carries no share-count denominator — where a percent appears it is of shares OUTSTANDING, the larger base, and is therefore a floor on percent of float. Informational only — not financial advice.
Competitors & peers
- Red Ventures
- Bankrate (owned by RV Ventures)
- LendingTree (TREE)
- MediaAlpha (MAX)
- Angi (ANGI)
AI-enriched competitor set. Linked names are companies covered by stocks-llm; other named peers are shown for reference only.
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Frequently asked questions
What does QUINSTREET INC (QNST) do?
QuinStreet is a provider of performance marketing technology and services, focusing on customer acquisition for the financial services and home services industries. The company delivers qualified consumer inquiries—such as clicks, leads, calls, and applications—to clients, typically operating on a cost-per-inquiry basis. By utilizing its proprietary technology platform and media assets, QuinStreet matches consumers with service providers to generate measurable marketing outcomes.
What sector is QUINSTREET INC (QNST) in?
QUINSTREET INC (QNST) is classified in the Communication Services sector. Its industry is performance marketing services. It trades on NASDAQ.
Who are QUINSTREET INC's (QNST) competitors?
Notable peers of QUINSTREET INC (QNST) include Red Ventures, Bankrate (owned by RV Ventures), LendingTree, MediaAlpha and Angi. This peer set is informational only — not financial advice.
Is QUINSTREET INC (QNST) overbought or oversold right now?
QUINSTREET INC (QNST) is currently neither overbought nor oversold — its 14-day RSI (a 0–100 momentum gauge) is 47, in the neutral middle (as of 2026-10-08). RSI describes recent price momentum, not a forecast — informational only, not financial advice.
Where does stocks-llm's data on QNST come from?
Fundamentals come from SEC XBRL company filings for the figures marked with a fiscal year, and market data, as of 2026-09-02 for the rest; prices are market data, as of 2026-09-02; company filings and profile facts come from SEC EDGAR. All figures are delayed daily-close data shown with their as-of date — informational only, not financial advice.
Fundamentals: SEC XBRL company filings for the figures marked with a fiscal year, and market data, as of 2026-09-02 for the rest. Filings: SEC EDGAR. Prices are delayed daily-close data.
Last updated 2026-10-08.
Informational only — NOT financial advice. All figures are delayed daily-close data from SEC EDGAR & market data, shown with their as-of date.