Shift to software boosts NCR

Article Excerpt

NCR CORP. $32 (New York symbol NCR; Aggressive Growth Portfolio, Manufacturing & Industry sector; Shares outstanding: 121.5 million; Market cap: $3.9 billion; Price-to-sales ratio: 0.6; No dividends paid; TSINetwork Rating: Average; www.ncr.com) makes automated teller machines (ATMs), cash registers, self-serve checkouts and kiosks for theatres and arenas. In the quarter ended September 30, 2017, the company’s revenue fell 0.8%, to $1.66 billion from $1.68 billion a year earlier. Weaker demand for ATMs (35% of total revenue) offset higher sales for NCR software and services (65%). Earnings in the quarter gained 5.9%, to $143 million from $135 million. Due to fewer shares outstanding, earnings per share rose 6.9%, to $0.93 from $0.87. NCR expects to earn $3.10 to $3.20 a share for all of 2017. The midpoint of that range—$3.15—was well below the consensus estimate of $3.36 a share. That caused the stock to drop 10%. However, software and services are more profitable than making ATMs, so NCR’s move to focus on them…