Low p/e ratio gives Symantec the edge

Article Excerpt

SYMANTEC CORP. $23.79 (Nasdaq symbol SYMC; TSINetwork Rating: Average) (408-517-8000; www.symantec.com; Shares outstanding: 682.4 million; Market cap: $16.3 billion; Dividend yield: 2.5%) sells computersecurity technology, including antivirus and emailfiltering software, to businesses and consumers. In its fiscal 2015 third quarter, which ended January 2, 2015, Symantec earned $367 million, unchanged from a year earlier. However, per-share earnings rose 1.9%, to $0.53 from $0.52, on fewer shares outstanding. Revenue slipped 3.9%, to $1.64 billion from $1.71 billion. But if you disregard the negative impact of the high U.S. dollar on the company’s overseas sales, revenue was flat. Symantec recently cancelled some unprofitable deals to preinstall software on new computers. That has hurt its revenue. Its plan to simplify its product lines and sell software as a subscription instead of a one-time purchase has also dampened its growth. The company now expects to earn $1.87 to $1.90 a share for all of fiscal 2015, and the stock trades at 12.6 times the…