Updating Our High-Growth Payers: Gen Digital Inc.

Article Excerpt

GEN DIGITAL INC. $21 is a buy. The company (Nasdaq symbol GEN; High-Growth Dividend Payer Portfolio, Consumer sector; Shares outstanding: 639.4 million; Market cap: $13.4 billion; Dividend yield: 2.4%; Dividend Sustainability Rating: Average; www.gendigital.com) changed its name from NortonLifeLock (old symbol NLOK) following its September 2022 acquisition of European cybersecurity firm Avast plc for $8.1 billion. Gen is now the parent company for several security-related brands, including Norton, LifeLock, and Avast, in addition to Avira, AVG, and CCleaner—those last three were obtained in previous acquisitions. The company last raised its quarterly dividend by 66.7% in December 2019. The annual rate of $0.50 a share yields 2.4%. In its fiscal 2024 first quarter, ended June 30, 2023, revenue rose 33.8%, to $946 million from $707 million a year earlier. That’s mainly due to the Avast purchase. As well, demand for consumer security and identity and information protection products continues to improve. Gen ended the quarter with 38.2 million customers, up 58.5% from 24.1 million. Earnings before one-time items also…