ACI WORLDWIDE $44.92 - Nasdaq symbol ACIW

ACI WORLDWIDE $44.92 (Nasdaq symbol ACIW; TSINetwork Rating: Speculative) (402-334-5101; www.tsainc.com; Shares outstanding: 39.8 million; Market cap: $1.8 billion; No dividends paid) makes software for processing transactions involving credit cards, debit cards, automated teller machines, point-of-sale terminals and interbank payments. Its products also help cut fraud.

In mid-February 2012, ACI completed its $540- million purchase of S1 Corp. This acquisition has been a good fit: S1 sells transaction software for banks, credit unions, retailers and other payment processors. It has over 3,000 clients worldwide.

In the three months ended March 31, 2013, ACI’s revenue rose 17.7%, to $162.0 million from $137.6 million a year earlier. The rise was partly because S1 contributed for the full quarter, compared to half of the 2012 first quarter.

Without one-time items, earnings per share dropped to $0.07 from $0.28. The decline was largely due to the cost of integrating S1. The company has now completed most of this work.

ACI holds cash of $112.5 million, or $2.83 a share. Its long-term debt of $620.5 million is a manageable 34.6% of its market cap.

The company is well positioned to profit from global growth in payment processing. ACI’s outlook is positive, but the stock trades at a high 21.9 times the company’s forecast 2013 earnings of $2.05 a share.

ACI Worldwide is a hold.

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