Cuts should boost earnings

Article Excerpt

FAIR ISAAC $27.90 (New York symbol FICO; TSINetwork Rating: Average) (415-472-2211; www.fairisaac.com; Shares outstanding: 41.7 million; Market cap: $1.2 billion; Dividend yield: 0.3%) plans to cut spending, including laying off 9% of its workforce and combining facilities. In all, these moves will cost the company $10 million, or $0.18 a share. However, savings from this plan should lift its fiscal 2011 earnings per share to around $1.95 from its earlier estimate of $1.66 (Fair Isaac’s fiscal fiscal year ends September 30). The stock trades at 14.3 times the new estimate. Fair Isaac’s long-term outlook is positive. But it needs the global economy to strengthen further to increase its revenue and earnings. As well, governments are increasingly regulating banks and credit-card issuers. That could hurt its sales to its biggest customers. Fair Isaac is still a hold. hold…