Two software leaders set for growth

Article Excerpt

ACI WORLDWIDE $18.61 (Nasdaq symbol ACIW; TSINetwork Rating: Extra Risk) (402-390-7600; www.aciworldwide. com; Shares outstanding: 117.2 million; Market cap: $2.2 billion; No dividends paid) makes software for processing transactions by credit cards, debit cards, automated teller machines, point-of-sale terminals and interbank systems. Its products also work to cut fraud. The company’s more than 5,100 customers include 1,000 of the world’s largest financial institutions and thousands of global retailers. Altogether, they process payments of over $14 trillion a day. In the quarter ended September 30, 2016, ACI’s sales fell 9.1%, to $217.0 million from $238.7 million a year earlier. The higher U.S. dollar cut the contribution of its international operations. As well, earlier this year, the company sold its Community Financial Services business to focus on big corporate clients. It provides payment systems to small banks and credit unions. Revenue also fell as ACI shifted from one-time sales of software to “software as a service.” Under this subscriber model, those computer programs are stored…