Latest Ratios: P/E Ratio 203.1x · EV/EBITDA 27.7x · ROE 2.0%. (2008–2025 historical series)
Price-based multiples — how expensive the stock is relative to earnings, sales, book value, and cash flow
| Metric | TTM | FY 2025 | FY 2024 | FY 2023 | FY 2022 | FY 2021 | FY 2020 | FY 2019 | FY 2018 | FY 2017 | FY 2016 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Market Cap | $942M | $939M | $911M | $475M | $547M | $1.0B | $558M | $836M | $633M | $190M | $160M |
| Enterprise Value | $851M | $848M | $872M | $406M | $454M | $923M | $460M | $774M | $569M | $141M | $122M |
| P/E Ratio → | 203.10 | 199.50 | — | — | — | 43.21 | 30.76 | 13.43 | 39.69 | — | — |
| P/S Ratio | 0.86 | 0.86 | 1.49 | 0.82 | 0.94 | 1.77 | 1.14 | 1.84 | 1.57 | 0.63 | 0.54 |
| P/B Ratio | 3.92 | 3.85 | 4.20 | 2.07 | 1.91 | 3.47 | 2.18 | 3.75 | 4.27 | 1.61 | 1.29 |
| P/FCF | 11.36 | 11.32 | 136.16 | — | 25.84 | 21.06 | 12.88 | 24.84 | 26.15 | 12.52 | — |
| P/OCF | 11.08 | 11.05 | 75.68 | 40.13 | 19.07 | 20.24 | 11.73 | 22.02 | 23.48 | 10.26 | 158.08 |
P/E links to full P/E history page with 30-year chart
Enterprise-value multiples — capital-structure-neutral measures of total business value
| Metric | TTM | FY 2025 | FY 2024 | FY 2023 | FY 2022 | FY 2021 | FY 2020 | FY 2019 | FY 2018 | FY 2017 | FY 2016 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| EV / Revenue | — | 0.78 | 1.42 | 0.70 | 0.78 | 1.59 | 0.94 | 1.70 | 1.41 | 0.47 | 0.41 |
| EV / EBITDA | 27.71 | 27.61 | — | — | 40.54 | 30.62 | 25.99 | 39.27 | 24.30 | 197.13 | — |
| EV / EBIT | 137.36 | 140.52 | — | — | — | 30.12 | 23.71 | 69.78 | 36.37 | — | — |
| EV / FCF | — | 10.23 | 130.26 | — | 21.46 | 18.96 | 10.60 | 22.99 | 23.48 | 9.25 | — |
Margins and return-on-capital ratios measuring operating efficiency
Full margin charts and quarterly trend are on the Earnings History page
| Metric | TTM | FY 2025 | FY 2024 | FY 2023 | FY 2022 | FY 2021 | FY 2020 | FY 2019 | FY 2018 | FY 2017 | FY 2016 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Gross Margin | 10.1% | 10.1% | 7.5% | 8.4% | 9.2% | 12.2% | 10.7% | 13.5% | 14.4% | 10.1% | 9.2% |
| Operating Margin | 0.6% | 0.6% | -4.6% | -3.6% | -0.8% | 2.4% | 1.3% | 2.4% | 3.9% | -3.6% | -5.8% |
| Net Profit Margin | 0.4% | 0.4% | -5.1% | -11.9% | -0.9% | 4.1% | 3.7% | 13.7% | 3.9% | -4.1% | -6.0% |
| Metric | TTM | FY 2025 | FY 2024 | FY 2023 | FY 2022 | FY 2021 | FY 2020 | FY 2019 | FY 2018 | FY 2017 | FY 2016 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ROE | 2.0% | 2.0% | -14.0% | -26.7% | -1.8% | 8.5% | 7.6% | 33.7% | 12.0% | -10.1% | -13.8% |
| ROA | 1.2% | 1.2% | -8.9% | -18.2% | -1.2% | 5.8% | 5.3% | 22.9% | 8.1% | -6.6% | -9.0% |
| ROIC | 2.8% | 2.8% | -12.5% | -8.8% | -1.8% | 6.0% | 2.9% | 6.6% | 15.4% | -10.3% | -14.8% |
| ROCE | 2.4% | 2.4% | -11.5% | -7.5% | -1.5% | 4.6% | 2.4% | 5.5% | 11.4% | -8.5% | -12.2% |
Solvency and debt-coverage ratios — lower is generally safer
| Metric | TTM | FY 2025 | FY 2024 | FY 2023 | FY 2022 | FY 2021 | FY 2020 | FY 2019 | FY 2018 | FY 2017 | FY 2016 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Debt / Equity | 0.04 | 0.04 | 0.05 | 0.02 | 0.01 | 0.03 | 0.03 | — | — | — | 0.12 |
| Debt / EBITDA | 0.33 | 0.33 | — | — | 0.34 | 0.28 | 0.49 | — | — | — | — |
| Net Debt / Equity | — | -0.37 | -0.18 | -0.30 | -0.32 | -0.34 | -0.39 | -0.28 | -0.44 | -0.42 | -0.31 |
| Net Debt / EBITDA | -2.96 | -2.96 | — | — | -8.27 | -3.38 | -5.59 | -3.17 | -2.76 | -69.52 | — |
| Debt / FCF | — | -1.10 | -5.91 | — | -4.38 | -2.09 | -2.28 | -1.86 | -2.67 | -3.26 | — |
| Interest Coverage | 15.08 | 15.08 | -43.70 | -26.04 | -4.36 | 23.63 | 27.85 | 30.21 | — | -37.40 | -31.97 |
Net cash position: cash ($101M) exceeds total debt ($10M)
Short-term solvency ratios and asset-utilisation metrics
| Metric | TTM | FY 2025 | FY 2024 | FY 2023 | FY 2022 | FY 2021 | FY 2020 | FY 2019 | FY 2018 | FY 2017 | FY 2016 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Current Ratio | 1.51 | 1.51 | 1.34 | 1.68 | 1.67 | 1.78 | 2.16 | 1.71 | 2.02 | 1.90 | 1.69 |
| Quick Ratio | 1.51 | 1.51 | 1.34 | 1.68 | 1.67 | 1.78 | 2.01 | 1.71 | 2.02 | 1.90 | 1.69 |
| Cash Ratio | 0.62 | 0.62 | 0.40 | 0.82 | 0.88 | 0.95 | 1.25 | 0.75 | 0.95 | 0.94 | 0.84 |
| Asset Turnover | — | 2.54 | 1.66 | 1.72 | 1.39 | 1.29 | 1.37 | 1.40 | 1.84 | 1.72 | 1.54 |
| Inventory Turnover | — | — | — | — | — | — | 34.21 | — | — | — | — |
| Days Sales Outstanding | — | 45.32 | 66.54 | 42.66 | 51.14 | 57.71 | 47.99 | 60.65 | 61.83 | 53.64 | 57.89 |
Earnings, FCF, buyback, and dividend yields — total returns to shareholders
Full dividend history and growth charts are on the Dividend History page
| Metric | TTM | FY 2025 | FY 2024 | FY 2023 | FY 2022 | FY 2021 | FY 2020 | FY 2019 | FY 2018 | FY 2017 | FY 2016 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dividend Yield | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| Payout Ratio | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| Metric | TTM | FY 2025 | FY 2024 | FY 2023 | FY 2022 | FY 2021 | FY 2020 | FY 2019 | FY 2018 | FY 2017 | FY 2016 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Earnings Yield | 0.5% | 0.5% | — | — | — | 2.3% | 3.3% | 7.4% | 2.5% | — | — |
| FCF Yield | 8.8% | 8.8% | 0.7% | — | 3.9% | 4.7% | 7.8% | 4.0% | 3.8% | 8.0% | — |
| Buyback Yield | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.3% | 1.2% | 2.8% | 0.0% | 0.0% | 1.2% | 0.1% | 1.3% | 1.5% |
| Total Shareholder Yield | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.3% | 1.2% | 2.8% | 0.0% | 0.0% | 1.2% | 0.1% | 1.3% | 1.5% |
| Shares Outstanding | — | $58M | $55M | $54M | $54M | $55M | $53M | $53M | $50M | $46M | $45M |
Search Algorithm Dependency
According to current market data, QNST trades at a forward P/E of 11.67, which, when contrasted with its trailing P/E of 175.22, suggests that investors are pricing in a significant earnings recovery rather than relying on the company's historically depressed and volatile bottom-line performance.
The wide disparity between trailing and forward multiples indicates that the market expects a rapid normalization of margins as the insurance vertical recovers. However, investors should monitor whether this valuation reflects sustainable growth or merely a cyclical snap-back that may fail to justify long-term premium pricing.
Based on reported figures, QNST's ROIC has struggled to maintain positive momentum, hovering at 3.8% in 2026Q3, which suggests that the company's recent inorganic expansion strategy has yet to generate returns that meaningfully exceed the cost of capital required to sustain its digital infrastructure.
The persistent difficulty in compounding returns on invested capital highlights the inherent limitations of a high-volume, low-margin intermediary model. Without a shift toward higher-margin proprietary traffic, the company may continue to see its capital efficiency diluted by the high costs of acquiring search visibility.
As reported in recent financial statements, QNST's DSO of 44 days in 2026Q3 reflects the transactional nature of its lead generation business, where the timing of cash collection from insurance carriers remains the primary determinant of the company's short-term liquidity and operational cash flow health.
The company's reliance on managing the gap between publisher payments and client receipts warrants further investigation into its supplier leverage. Any tightening in payment terms from search partners could quickly strain the company's modest cash position given the thin operating margins.
Compared to peers like EverQuote, which reports an ROIC of 54.8%, QNST's 3.8% ROIC suggests a structural lag in operational efficiency, indicating that the company's decentralized O&O model may be less effective at converting revenue into shareholder value than the more focused platforms of its direct competitors.
While QNST benefits from a broader vertical footprint, the comparison reveals that it lacks the high-margin scalability of its peers. This gap appears structural, suggesting that QNST's reliance on paid traffic acquisition is a significant drag on its relative competitive positioning.
As evidenced by the discrepancy between top-line growth and net margins, the P/S ratio is a fundamentally flawed metric for QNST, as it obscures the high pass-through costs paid to third-party publishers that do not represent true economic value-add for the firm's shareholders.
Investors should instead focus on 'Revenue After Publisher Costs' to better gauge the company's actual scale and profitability. Relying on standard P/S multiples may lead to an overestimation of the company's market power and its ability to retain earnings in a competitive search environment.
Includes 30+ ratios · 18 years · Updated daily
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Quick answers to the most common questions about buying QNST stock.
QuinStreet, Inc.'s current P/E ratio is 203.1x. The historical average is 49.9x. This places it at the 100th percentile of its historical range.
QuinStreet, Inc.'s current EV/EBITDA is 27.7x. This enterprise value multiple compares the company's total value (equity + debt - cash) to its EBITDA. The historical average is 22.7x.
QuinStreet, Inc.'s return on equity (ROE) is 2.0%. The historical average is 1.2%.
Based on historical data, QuinStreet, Inc. is trading at a P/E of 203.1x. This is at the 100th percentile of its historical P/E range. Compare with industry peers and growth rates for a complete picture.
QuinStreet, Inc. has 10.1% gross margin and 0.6% operating margin.
QuinStreet, Inc.'s Debt/EBITDA ratio is 0.3x, indicating low leverage. A ratio below 2x is generally considered financially healthy.