QuinStreet (NASDAQ:QNST) Shares Gap Up After Better-Than-Expected Earnings

QuinStreet, Inc. (NASDAQ:QNST)’s share price gapped up before the market opened on Friday following a better than expected earnings announcement. The stock had previously closed at $11.06, but opened at $13.98. QuinStreet shares last traded at $12.36, with a volume of 317,275 shares trading hands.

The technology company reported $0.24 EPS for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $0.21 by $0.03. The company had revenue of $287.85 million for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $275.07 million. QuinStreet had a net margin of 0.96% and a return on equity of 6.91%. The business’s revenue was up 1.9% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period in the previous year, the firm earned $0.20 EPS.

Key Headlines Impacting QuinStreet

Here are the key news stories impacting QuinStreet this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Q2 fiscal 2026 earnings beat — QuinStreet reported $0.24 EPS vs. consensus ~$0.21 and revenue of $287.85M vs. ~$275M, showing modest top‑line growth and a profit beat that likely supported the stock move. MarketBeat Earnings
• Positive Sentiment: Management gave FY‑2026 revenue guidance of ~$1.3B (and Q3 revenue guidance ~$330M–$340M), raising the company’s growth profile for the year — guidance that investors view as evidence of stronger forward momentum. Earnings Snapshot
• Positive Sentiment: HomeBuddy acquisition — management is positioning HomeBuddy to expand QuinStreet’s home‑services footprint and deliver revenue synergies, a strategic driver cited in analyst commentary and FY‑2026 revenue targets. Seeking Alpha: HomeBuddy Revenue Target
• Positive Sentiment: Bullish analyst notes — William Blair’s Adam Klauber reaffirmed a Buy stance (noting operational outperformance and synergies) and Barrington Research reiterated an Outperform with a $24 price target, adding third‑party validation for upside. TipRanks / William Blair Barrington via Benzinga
• Neutral Sentiment: Earnings call and transcript available — the Q2 call provides more color on margin drivers, customer demand, and integration plans for HomeBuddy; investors should review management’s commentary for cadence and execution risk. Earnings Call Transcript
• Negative Sentiment: Pre‑release volatility and prior headlines — some articles flagged reasons shares were falling earlier (preview/expectations or other short‑term positioning), which suggests momentum can swing if execution or guidance details disappoint. Why Shares Are Falling

Analyst Ratings Changes

Several brokerages have recently commented on QNST. B. Riley boosted their price target on QuinStreet from $25.00 to $26.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research note on Wednesday, January 7th. Weiss Ratings cut QuinStreet from a “hold (c-)” rating to a “sell (d+)” rating in a report on Monday, December 29th. Barrington Research reissued an “outperform” rating and issued a $24.00 target price on shares of QuinStreet in a report on Friday. Finally, Lake Street Capital set a $15.00 price target on QuinStreet in a research report on Friday. Three research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, one has given a Hold rating and one has issued a Sell rating to the company. According to MarketBeat, QuinStreet presently has a consensus rating of “Hold” and an average price target of $24.00.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

A number of large investors have recently made changes to their positions in the business. Farther Finance Advisors LLC boosted its position in shares of QuinStreet by 10.2% in the fourth quarter. Farther Finance Advisors LLC now owns 7,896 shares of the technology company’s stock worth $113,000 after buying an additional 730 shares during the period. Commonwealth of Pennsylvania Public School Empls Retrmt SYS lifted its position in QuinStreet by 8.2% during the 2nd quarter. Commonwealth of Pennsylvania Public School Empls Retrmt SYS now owns 14,622 shares of the technology company’s stock worth $235,000 after acquiring an additional 1,109 shares in the last quarter. Entropy Technologies LP boosted its holdings in QuinStreet by 10.0% in the 3rd quarter. Entropy Technologies LP now owns 14,063 shares of the technology company’s stock worth $218,000 after acquiring an additional 1,284 shares during the period. MIRAE ASSET GLOBAL ETFS HOLDINGS Ltd. grew its position in QuinStreet by 4.5% in the first quarter. MIRAE ASSET GLOBAL ETFS HOLDINGS Ltd. now owns 31,983 shares of the technology company’s stock valued at $571,000 after acquiring an additional 1,381 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Legal & General Group Plc raised its stake in shares of QuinStreet by 1.1% during the second quarter. Legal & General Group Plc now owns 157,011 shares of the technology company’s stock valued at $2,528,000 after purchasing an additional 1,745 shares during the period. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 97.83% of the company’s stock.

QuinStreet Stock Up 13.3%

The business’s 50 day moving average price is $14.31 and its 200-day moving average price is $14.90. The company has a market cap of $711.42 million, a PE ratio of 66.28 and a beta of 0.70.

About QuinStreet

QuinStreet, Inc operates a technology-based performance marketing platform that connects companies with prospective customers across multiple verticals. The company specializes in data-driven lead generation for financial services, education, insurance, healthcare, and home services firms. By leveraging proprietary targeting algorithms and real-time analytics, QuinStreet manages customized digital marketing campaigns to optimize customer acquisition and retention for its clients.

Through a portfolio of consumer-facing websites and comparison platforms, QuinStreet delivers targeted visitors who are actively researching products and services.