Updating International Business Machines Inc., Adobe Systems Inc., Washington Federal Inc. and Harte-Hanks Inc.

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INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS MACHINES INC. $124 (New York symbol IBM; Conservative Growth Portfolio, Manufacturing & Industry sector; Shares outstanding: 1.4 billion; Market cap: $173.6 billion; WSSF Rating: Above average) earned $1.65 a share in the three months ended March 31, 2008, up 36.4% from $1.21 a year earlier. Revenue rose 11.4%, to $24.5 billion from $22.0 billion. IBM continues to gain from its strategy of expanding its software operations, which generate higher profit margins than hardware sales. Software revenue grew 14% in the latest quarter. IBM also gets over 60% of its revenue from its international operations, which limits its exposure to a slowing economy in the United States. IBM is a buy. ADOBE SYSTEMS INC. $37 (Nasdaq symbol ADBE; Aggressive Growth Portfolio, Manufacturing & Industry sector; Shares outstanding: 531.8 million; Market cap: $19.7 billion; WSSF Rating: Average) has launched a free online version of its Photoshop photo-editing program called Photoshop Express. Adobe’s full-version Photoshop is widely used by professionals. The company hopes Photoshop Express…