BlackBerry rebound hinges on software

Article Excerpt

BLACKBERRY LTD. $10 (Toronto symbol BB; Aggressive Growth Portfolio, Manufacturing & Industry sector; Shares outstanding: 525.7 million; Market cap: $5.3 billion; Price-to-sales ratio: 1.7; No dividends paid; TSINetwork Rating: Speculative; www.blackberry.com) continues to expand its software business, which provides it with recurring licensing fees and cuts its reliance on selling smartphones. The company recently paid $250 million for AtHoc, whose software lets users securely exchange messages during crises (all amounts except share price and market cap in U.S. dollars.). AtHoc’s clients include the U.S. defence and homeland security departments. BlackBerry also bought Good Technology, whose software improves the security of messages sent through mobile devices, for $425 million. In its fiscal 2016 third quarter, which ended November 28, 2015, BlackBerry’s revenue fell 30.9%, to $548 million from $793 million a year earlier. However, that’s up 11.8% from $490 million in the second quarter. Smartphones supplied 40% of the company’s revenue, followed by fees it charges wireless carriers to access its…