NortonLifeLock expands in Europe

Article Excerpt

NORTONLIFELOCK INC. $20 is a buy. The stock (Nasdaq symbol NLOK; Aggressive Growth Portfolio, Consumer sector; Shares o/s: 600.4 million; Market cap: $12.0 billion; Price-to-sales ratio: 4.9; Dividend yield: 2.5%; TSINetwork Rating: Average; www.nortonlifelock.com) is focused on expanding its Norton consumer business to lift investor returns. Those operations make and sell computer anti-virus and email-filtering software for individuals. Its LifeLock business sells identity-theft protection for individual consumers. The company has now agreed to buy German security firm Avira. It provides a consumer-focused portfolio of security and privacy solutions for Windows and Mac computers, Android and iOS smartphones, home networks, and smart devices (typically called the “Internet of Things”). NortonLifeLock will pay $360 million for Avira. To put that amount in context, the company earned $215 million, or $0.36 a share, in the quarter ended October 2, 2020. Buying Avira will accelerate NortonLifeLock’s international expansion in Europe and key emerging markets. Aviva will also add over 30 million active devices, of which 1.5 million are paying customers. NortonLifeLock…