These Software Makers Lead Their Markets

Article Excerpt

FAIR ISAAC CORPORATION $20.72 (New York symbol FIC; SI Rating: Average) (415-472-2211; www.fairisaac.com; Shares outstanding: 48.6 million; Market cap: $1.0 billion) provides products and services that help businesses make better decisions on customer creditworthiness around the world. Its main business is its FICO software, which lets creditors use information about a customer to calculate a credit score. That score lets credit providers decide if they should give a customer a mortgage, a loan or a credit card. Major customers include banks, credit card issuers, insurers, retailers, telecom providers and government agencies. In the three months ended March 31, 2008, Fair Isaac’s revenues rose 1.3%, to $193.2 million from $190.7 million. Sales growth has slowed along with problems in credit and mortgage markets. Earnings per share fell 2.7%, to $0.36 from $0.37, on fewer shares outstanding. If you exclude the costs of Fair Isaac’s current restructuring plan, earnings per share in the latest quarter were up 18.9%, to $0.44. Fair Isaac has formed a..