How profitable is QuinStreet Inc. (QNST)?

In FY 2025 (10-K), QNST converted $1.1B of revenue into a 10.1% gross margin, 0.6% operating margin, and $82.9M in free cash flow (7.6% FCF margin).

Stock Ratings / Consumer Discretionary / QNST / financials

AHG (32) MAX (69) RSKD (54) PHR (56) ⌘ Pro Terminal →

QuinStreet Inc. (QNST) Revenue-to-Profit Sankey Flow & SEC XBRL Financials

$17.56 +0.92% NASDAQ • Live Quote vs Prior Daily Close (Synced Snapshot) EXT / AFTER-HRS: $17.63

QuinStreet Inc. (QNST) earns a Roarable Rating of B- (Buy) with 70/100 RQD Confidence. High-quality cash engine (10% profit margin, 3% return on capital) with steady institutional support. The company’s underlying cash engine and institutional positioning keep the composite score in the Green Buy zone.

📊 Historical Track Record: Scores of 70/100 (B-) historically ranked in the Top 15% of excess returns over the next 90 days (+6.6% avg 90D alpha vs SPY • 68.1% hit rate) →

ROARABLE B- • BUY Cap $995.7M

📤 Share Live RQD Speedometer Card: 𝕏 Post Reddit StockTwits ⬇ Live SVG Card

⚡ INSTANT AI QUANT PREVIEW • $0 FREE TIER Click Any Pre-Computed AI Quant Specialist Briefing on QNST Below — or Connect Your Own ChatGPT / Claude

🤖 Mara Quenwick • AI Quant Lead (Click for Instant Brief) Is QNST stock a Buy, Hold, or Sell right now according to Roarable's RQD model?

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As of 2026-11-03, QuinStreet Inc. (NASDAQ: QNST) is rated B- (Buy / BUY) by Roarable's 5-pillar RQD engine with a composite confidence score of 70/100 at a spot price of $17.56 (+0.92% 1D, market cap $995.7M). Pillar breakdown: Fundamental Cash Engine 14/20, Institutional 13F & Options Flow 14/20, Executive Insider Alignment 18/20, FRED Macro Regime Fit 11/20, and SEC Balance-Sheet Forensics 13/20. Across 1011 tracked Consumer Discretionary issuers, QNST ranks #161 in composite RQD confidence.

✓ Pre-computed one-to-many AI Quant brief

🤖 Ellis Vennor • AI Peer & Flow Quant (Click for Instant Brief) How does QNST compare to AHG and MAX in the Consumer Discretionary sector?

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Within the Consumer Discretionary sector (Business Services), QNST carries a Roarable B- (70/100 RQD), trailing P/E of N/A, gross margin of 10.1%, and ROIC of 2.6%. By comparison, AHG (Akso Health Group ADS) holds a E grade (32/100 RQD, P/E N/A, ROIC —, cap $1.08B) and MAX (MediaAlpha Inc. (Class A)) posts a C+ grade (69/100 RQD, P/E 32.6x, ROIC 19.7%, cap $873.1M). Among the 5-stock peer group, MAX leads on earnings multiple (32.6x) while MAX leads on capital efficiency (19.7% ROIC).

✓ Pre-computed one-to-many AI Quant brief

🤖 Gideon Ashmere • AI SEC 10-K Forensics (Click for Instant Brief) What are the biggest fundamental strengths and SEC risk factors for QNST?

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Per QNST's SEC EDGAR XBRL 10-K filing (FY2025, filed 2025-06-30, CIK 0001117297), QuinStreet Inc. generated $1.09B in revenue (+78.3% YoY), $4.7M in net income, and $82.9M in free cash flow against $493.0M in total assets and $0 in total debt. Key quantitative strengths: Clean SEC annual filing review with no major hidden accounting time-bombs.. Primary risk factors monitored: Broader market pullbacks can still drag down strong stocks in the short run.. Institutional options positioning shows a 50% call / 50% put premium split.

✓ Pre-computed one-to-many AI Quant brief

🤖 AI Quant Disclosure: Roarable Analysts are proprietary AI Quant Specialists — not human financial advisors. Pre-computed one-to-many briefings above are free; interactive 1-on-1 Q&A, custom AI sifting/indicator alerts, and personal ChatGPT/Claude MCP connections require a $9.95/mo Pro account (currently waitlist-only).

INTERACTIVE SCENARIO DECK:

🛡️ Portfolio Crash X-Ray

EXT / AFTER-HRS: $17.63 (+0.41%)🧬 Cannibal Buyback (-1.52% YoY Shares)⚙️ Cash Engine: 14/20 (B-) • 7.6% FCF Margin

Verify 90D Bucket Audit →

📊 Historical Track Record: Scores of 70/100 (B-) historically ranked in the Top 15% of excess returns over the next 90 days (+6.6% avg 90D alpha vs SPY • 68.1% hit rate).

Audit Bucket Track Record →

RQD QUANT TACHOMETERBUY • B-

2-of-3 JEV AI Jury Bullish

Cash

SEC

Whale

Impersonal quantitative research (0–100 RQD rubric) — not individualized investment advice. Past performance does not guarantee future results. Full Disclaimer

5-PILLAR SNOWFLAKE RADARRw C+ · Rk B

Each axis scored 0–20

12M PRICE TARGET CONE+5.4% Base Target

WHALE OPTIONS SNAPSHOT: — (No Active Options Snapshot on file for QNST)Realized 20D OHLCV Swing Band: ±7.5%

Deterministic 5-Pillar Attribution (70/100 Composite)

🔍 WHY QNST SCORES 70/100 (B-) — TOP 3 DRIVERS2 Bullish Pillars + #1 Risk Drag

▲ #1 Bullish Driver: SEC 10-K Forensic Risk+18/20 pts (26% of score)

Altman Z-Score 5.24 (FORTRESS SAFE (>3.0)) • Piotroski F-Score 7/9

▲ #2 Bullish Driver: Cash Engine Quality+14/20 pts (20% of score)

SEC XBRL FY 2025 (10-K): 7.6% FCF Margin ($82.9M FCF) & 10.1% Gross Margin

▼ #1 Drag / Risk Factor: Macro Regime Fit11/20 pts (-9 pt drag)

Macro rate sensitivity & RSI-14 (60.3) create a -9 pt regime headwind

📈 PAST 4 QUARTERS RQD vs SUBSEQUENT RETURNQ1 → Q2 → Q3 → Current

Q1 (-3Q)

Grade C+$15.76+5.5% Next Q

Q2 (-2Q)

Grade C+$16.62-3.7% Next Q

Q3 (-1Q)

Grade B-$16.01+9.7% Next Q

Current

Grade B-$17.56+6.6% Hist 90D α

Trajectory: C+ (62) → B- (70)Full Audit →

⚔️ ADVERSARIAL OPPOSING CASE & FORENSIC KILL-SWITCH (WHY THE BULL/BEAR THESIS COULD FAIL)GIDEON ASHMERE // FORENSIC SHORT & KILL-SWITCH DOSSIER

⚔️ Adversarial Opposing Case: Why the QNST Bull Thesis Could Fail

Gideon Ashmere Forensic Desk →

Even with a 70/100 (B-) score, QNST faces multiple-compression risk if current valuation multiples re-rate toward historical sector medians or if hyperscaler/enterprise customer concentration slows in upcoming 10-Q filings.

⚠️ Forensic Kill-Switch #1

Broader market pullbacks can still drag down strong stocks in the short run.

⚠️ Forensic Kill-Switch #2

Dilution & Margin Drag: Cannibal Buyback (-1.52% YoY Shares) — any gross margin slip below 15.0% triggers an automatic RQD downgrade.

⚠️ Forensic Kill-Switch #3

Technical & Forensic Kill-Switch: A daily close below the 50D SMA ($16.84) or 200D SMA ($14.50) invalidates the momentum regime and cuts Target Base ($18.51) toward Bear Floor ($14.40).

🎲 LIVE PREDICTION MARKET ODDS TIED TO $QNST• $2.4M Crowd Pool • Kalshi / Polymarket Composite

Contract: “QNST Beats Next Quarter EPS Consensus (Dec 28, 2026) & Holds Above 200D SMA”

YES 70%NO 30%Trade / Inspect Odds →

VISUAL REVENUE-TO-PROFIT SANKEY WATERFALL • FY 2025 (10-K)

How QNST Turns Every Dollar of Sales Into Real Bottom-Line Profit

Free Cash Flow:$82.9M (7.6% FCF Margin)

Multi-Year SEC EDGAR XBRL Revenue, Net Profit & Free Cash Flow Trajectory

■ Revenue■ Net Profit■ Free Cash Flow

FY23

Rev $580.6M

FY24

Rev $613.5M

FY25

Rev $1.09B

Fiscal Year	Revenue	Gross Margin	Op Margin	Net Profit	Free Cash Flow	ROIC %
FY 2025	$1.09B	10.1%	0.6%	$4.7M	$82.9M	2.6%
FY 2024	$613.5M	7.5%	-4.6%	-$31.3M	$6.7M	-13.3%
FY 2023	$580.6M	10.1%	-3.6%	-$68.9M	$11.8M	2.6%

ON-DEMAND RQD QUANT WORKSHOP • SPONSORED / PARTNER SPOTLIGHTHosted by Perry Belcher & Roarable Forensic Quant Desk

Red-Light Warning Desk: Spotting SEC Cash-Flow & Dilution Risks Before Downgrades (Featuring QNST)

✓Walkthrough of QNST's RQD Radar, SEC cash-conversion gap & downside invalidation levels
✓3 asymmetric Bear/Hedge frameworks when 10-year Treasury yields stay elevated
✓Includes nightly RQD rating-change & forensic signal email alerts on your tracked stocks

RQD INSIDER CLUB WAITLIST$49/YR PLANNED

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QNST // CANDLESTICK & AUTO-TRENDLINE WORKSTATION6M: +37.83%▲ ASCENDING TRIANGLE

2026-11-03O $17.14H $17.56L $17.14C $17.56VOL 783.6K

SUP: $14.90SMA50: $16.84SMA200: $14.50

PRIMARY-SOURCE FORENSICS, SECOND-ORDER LINKS & AI ANALYST DESK

QNST Dilution Monitor, Expectations Hurdle, Butterfly Connections & Policy Exposure

🦋 QNST Butterfly Map → + Track QNST →

Share Count & Dilution Monitor (#25)

Multi-year comparable XBRL diluted share count not disclosed (ETF or recent listing).

Reverse-DCF Expectations Hurdle (#30)

48.0%/yr Implied 5Y Growth

vs. +78.3% actual YoY revenue growth (assuming 9.25% cost of equity & 16.5x terminal multiple).

Ellis Vennor Setup Ledger (#33)

No active Ellis Vennor swing setup published on QNST today. View full Setup Ledger →

🦋 Documented & Second-Order Butterfly Connections Open Graph →

No direct multi-tier Butterfly edges indexed yet for QNST. Explore sector supply chains on /butterfly.

AI Analyst Theses, Washington Policy & Company Video

🎬 No recent verified company-specific video clip queued for QNST today (we never pad ticker pages with unrelated generic clips). Browse Macro Video Desk →

DETERMINISTIC MULTI-FACTOR EQUITY AUDIT • SEC EDGAR XBRL × RQD PEER BENCHMARK

📊 Quantitative Sector Peer Comparison, SEC Filing Delta & Investment FAQ (QNST)

Consumer Discretionary Rank #161 of 1011 ⚔️ AHG vs QNST Full Matrix →

1. Head-to-Head Consumer Discretionary Peer Comparison (QNST vs. AHG, MAX, RSKD, PHR)

Industry: Business Services (90 Tracked Issuers)

Across 1011 tracked Consumer Discretionary securities in the Roarable RQD universe, QuinStreet Inc. (QNST) ranks #161 by composite RQD confidence (70/100, grade B-) and #509 by equity capitalization ($995.7M). Within this direct 5-issuer industry benchmark cohort, MAX leads on earnings valuation at 32.6x trailing P/E, while MAX leads on capital efficiency and profitability with 19.7% ROIC and 15.0% gross margin. QNST currently leads its immediate peer cohort in composite quantitative strength at 70/100 (B-).

Ticker / Company	Roarable Grade	RQD Score	Trailing P/E	Gross Margin	ROIC	1D Change	Market Cap	Head-to-Head
QNST ACTIVE QuinStreet Inc.	B-	70/100	—	10.1%	2.6%	+0.92%	$995.7M	Benchmark Subject
AHG Akso Health Group ADS	E	32/100	—	-0.1%	—	+4.17%	$1.08B	/ahg-vs-qnst →
MAX MediaAlpha Inc. (Class A)	C+	69/100	32.6x	15.0%	19.7%	+0.20%	$873.1M	/max-vs-qnst →
RSKD Riskified Ltd. (Class A)	D+	54/100	—	51.7%	-20.3%	-1.05%	$1.17B	/rskd-vs-qnst →
PHR Phreesia Inc.	D+	56/100	—	—	-2.0%	0.00%	$772.2M	/phr-vs-qnst →

2. Multi-Year SEC XBRL Revenue, Cash Flow & Balance-Sheet Trajectory (FY2023–FY2025)

SEC EDGAR 10-K • FILED 2025-06-30 • CIK 0001117297

In its most recent audited fiscal period (FY2025, filed 2025-06-30), QuinStreet Inc. (QNST) reported GAAP revenue of $1.09B (+78.3% vs. FY2024 revenue of $613.5M , and +88.4% cumulative change since FY2023) , GAAP net income of $4.7M, operating cash flow of $85.0M, and free cash flow of $82.9M (+1139.1% YoY). On the balance sheet, QNST closed FY2025 with $493.0M in total assets against $0 in total debt (Altman Z-Score: 5.24, Piotroski F-Score: 7/9).

Fiscal Period	Filing Date	Revenue	Net Income	Operating Cash Flow	Free Cash Flow	Total Assets	Total Debt
FY2025 (FY)	2025-06-30	$1.09B	$4.7M	$85.0M	$82.9M	$493.0M	—
FY2024 (FY)	2024-06-30	$613.5M	-$31.3M	$12.0M	$6.7M	$409.6M	—
FY2023 (FY)	2023-06-30	$580.6M	-$68.9M	$11.8M	$11.8M	—	—

3. QNST Data-Verified Investor FAQ (RQD Rating, Sector Peers, SEC Forensics & Technicals)

✓ SCHEMA.ORG FAQPAGE JSON-LD ENABLED

Is QNST stock a Buy, Hold, or Sell right now according to Roarable's RQD model?

How does QNST compare to AHG and MAX in the Consumer Discretionary sector?

What are the biggest fundamental strengths and SEC risk factors for QNST?

Where is QNST trading relative to its 50-day, 200-day, and 52-week technical levels?

QNST last traded at $17.56 (+0.92% on volume of 762,705 shares), positioning the stock +4.28% above its 50-day simple moving average ($16.84) and +21.10% above its 200-day simple moving average ($14.50). Across its 52-week range of $10.29 to $22.29, QNST sits at the 60.6% percentile with a 14-day RSI of 60.3 (BULLISH MOMENTUM) and an implied next-earnings move of ±7.5% ($16.24 to $18.88).

Direct Sub-Reports: QNST RQD Cockpit QNST 12M Forecast QNST Earnings & Move QNST Dividends & DRIP QNST Insiders & 13F QNST Whale Options QNST Profit Sankey QNST News & Why

ROARABLE RATING BRIEF • RQD 70/100 (B-) ✓ STAGE-C NUMBER FIREWALL VERIFIED

QNST — QuinStreet Inc.: What the Facts Mean to a Prospective Investor

Engine: anthropic/claude-haiku-5.5

As of: 2026-11-02T15:31:25Z

1. Roarable Rating Brief: What This Means to a Prospective Investor

QNST scores 70 out of 100 (letter grade B-, verdict "Roarable Buy — Sound Institutional Accumulation"). The five pillars are:

Fundamental Cash Engine: 14 / 20. Per the RQD rating, this pillar reflects ROIC of 2.6% and an FCF yield of 8.45%. For an investor, the FCF yield is the stronger part of this pillar: it indicates free cash generation relative to market value, while the 2.6% ROIC indicates thin returns on invested capital. The upside case rests on cash conversion persisting; the valuation tradeoff is that low ROIC limits how much growth each dollar of capital produces.
Whale 13F Flow: 14 / 20. Per the RQD rating, this pillar captures institutional accumulation and options positioning.
Insider Conviction: 13 / 20. Per the RQD rating, this pillar reflects SEC Form 4 and Congressional PTR cluster flow. The underlying transactions are not itemized in the source data.
Macro Regime Fit: 11 / 20. Per the RQD rating, beta is 1.0 with sector sensitivity noted. A beta of 1.0 means the stock is modeled to move in line with the broad market; this pillar carries the lowest score, indicating the stock's fit to the current macro regime is weaker than its other attributes.
Forensic Balance Sheet: 18 / 20. Per the RQD rating, Altman Z is 5.24, Piotroski F is 7/9, and Debt/Equity is 0.5. This is the highest-scoring pillar and the main support for the overall rating: the balance sheet screens as financially sound on these measures.

Taken together, the rating points to a balance sheet and cash-flow profile that screen well, offset by thin operating and ROIC economics and a weaker macro-fit score. Investors weighing the upside drivers (cash generation, balance-sheet strength, institutional interest) should also weigh the valuation tradeoff implied by an EV/EBITDA of 109.9 and the thin margins shown below.

2. Business Model, Unit Margins & SEC Financial Trajectory

QuinStreet Inc. Is a NASDAQ-listed company classified in the Consumer Discretionary sector and the Business Services industry,. Revenue of $1.09B for FY 2025 is reported in the SEC financials, but no further business description is available in source data.

Per the market data, gross margin is 10.1%, operating margin 0.6%, and net margin 0.4%, with ROIC at 2.6%. Per the RQD rating, the Altman Z-Score is 5.24 and the Piotroski F-Score is 7/9, with Debt/Equity at 0.5. Revenue rose sharply from FY 2024 to FY 2025 and the company moved from a net loss to a small net profit, though margins remain thin.

3. Institutional Bull vs. Bear Thesis & Valuation Tradeoff

🐂 Primary Bull Case: Strong forensic balance sheet (Altman Z 5.24, Piotroski F 7/9) and an 8.45% FCF yield support the rating. With Fundamental Cash Engine at 14/20 (ROIC 2.6%, FCF yield 8.45%) and Institutional Whale Flow at 14/20, sustained execution supports upside toward the top of the $10.29 – $22.29 52-week range.
🐻 Primary Bear Case: Thin 2.6% ROIC, 0.4% net margin, and an EV/EBITDA of 109.9 leave little valuation support. Investors must weigh current valuation and 109.9x EV/EBITDA against 0.6% operating margins and a 1.00 macro beta if sector demand softens.

4. 2nd-Order Butterfly Ripples & Key Questions to Watch

Operating in Business Services (Consumer Discretionary), QNST carries a macro regime beta of 1.00 and gross margin of 10.1%.

Key Question #1: What is the trailing EPS and P/E, since both are absent and the EV/EBITDA of 109.9 is hard to interpret without earnings?
Key Question #2: What drove the swing from FY 2024 net loss of -$31.3M to FY 2025 net income of $4.7M, and is the FY 2025 cash generation repeatable?
Key Question #3: What did the upcoming earnings release report, and how does it compare with the earnings expectations described in the news feed?

QNST Live News Feed, Press Releases & Catalyst Wire

Real-time company headlines, analyst actions, and sector developments for QuinStreet Inc. (QNST) • Click "Debate This Headline" to argue it in the Roar Pit below

💬 Jump to QNST Debate Forum (3) ↓

🟡 MARKET WIRE Stocktwits • 20h ago

QNST: QuinStreet Inc Latest Stock Price, Analysis, News and Trading Ideas

Stocktwits report covering QuinStreet Inc. (QNST) market action, institutional positioning, and fundamental catalysts.

Read Full Source ↗

🟡 MARKET WIRE Yahoo Finance • 23h ago

QuinStreet (QNST) Earnings Expected to Grow: What to Know Ahead of Next Week's Release

Yahoo Finance report covering QuinStreet Inc. (QNST) market action, institutional positioning, and fundamental catalysts.

Read Full Source ↗

🟡 MARKET WIRE StockInvest.us • 1d ago

Quinstreet Stock Price Forecast. Should You Buy QNST?

StockInvest.us report covering QuinStreet Inc. (QNST) market action, institutional positioning, and fundamental catalysts.

Read Full Source ↗

🟢 CATALYST TradingView • 1d ago

QuinStreet Gears Up to Report Q1 Earnings: Is a Beat in Store for QNST?

TradingView report covering QuinStreet Inc. (QNST) market action, institutional positioning, and fundamental catalysts.

Read Full Source ↗

🟡 MARKET WIRE Yahoo! Finance Canada • 1d ago

QuinStreet, Inc. (QNST) Stock Forecasts

Yahoo! Finance Canada report covering QuinStreet Inc. (QNST) market action, institutional positioning, and fundamental catalysts.

Read Full Source ↗

🟡 MARKET WIRE Timothy Sykes • 1d ago

QuinStreet Inc. (QNST) Stock Price | Live Quotes & Charts | NASDAQ

Timothy Sykes report covering QuinStreet Inc. (QNST) market action, institutional positioning, and fundamental catalysts.

Read Full Source ↗

🟡 MARKET WIRE https://www.siam.in/ • 1d ago

QuinStreet (QNST) Slips to $14.94 as Shares Sit Near the Middle of a Well-Defined Range - IV Spike

https://www.siam.in/ report covering QuinStreet Inc. (QNST) market action, institutional positioning, and fundamental catalysts.

Read Full Source ↗

🟡 MARKET WIRE ad-hoc-news.de • 1d ago

Barrington keeps USD 24 target for QuinStreet stock

ad-hoc-news.de report covering QuinStreet Inc. (QNST) market action, institutional positioning, and fundamental catalysts.

Read Full Source ↗

🔥 THE ROAR PIT • LIVE COMMUNITY DEBATE 3 Active Posts & Replies

QNST Bull vs. Bear Conversation Board — What's Your Call at $17.56?

🐂 67% BULLISH CONVICTION COMMUNITY TUG-OF-WAR ON QNST 🐻 33% BEARISH CONVICTION

CA CashFlowKing FCF Compounder Hunter 🐂 BULLISH 🎯 Target: $21.23 (+22.0%)

📌 Pinned Debate

Strong forensic balance sheet (Altman Z 5.24, Piotroski F 7/9) and an 8.45% FCF yield support the rating.

Picked up a starter position in QNST in my $100K Virtual Cash book at $17.40. Strong forensic balance sheet (Altman Z 5.24, Piotroski F 7/9) and an 8.45% FCF yield support the rating.. Trading inside a $10.29–$22.29 52-week range with 8.45% FCF yield gives solid downside support if Business Services multiples expand this quarter.

VolSurface_Trader 🐂 BULL

@ForensicBear Shorting a 14/20 institutional whale-flow stock at $17.40 is dangerous when funds are rotating into Consumer Discretionary.

FO ForensicBear 10-K Footnote Auditor 🐻 BEARISH 🎯 Target: $13.75 (-21.0%)

Spot @ $17.40

Thin 2.6% ROIC, 0.4% net margin, and an EV/EBITDA of 109.9 leave little valuation support.

Fading this rally in QNST at $17.40. Thin 2.6% ROIC, 0.4% net margin, and an EV/EBITDA of 109.9 leave little valuation support.. With a beta of 1.0 and the stock sitting at $17.40 (52-wk range $10.29–$22.29), the easy multiple expansion is already priced in.