Two U.S. Software Makers: 1 Buy, 1 Hold

Article Excerpt

SYMANTEC CORP. $18.70 (Nasdaq symbol SYMC; SI Rating: Average) (1-408-517-8000; www.symantec.com; Shares outstanding: 882.5 million; Market cap: $16.5 billion) is now starting to realize some of the benefits of its 2005 acquisition of Veritas, which has strengthened its corporate security products. The $13.5 billion deal was one of the biggest software industry acquisitions ever. Meanwhile, Symantec’s consumer business continues to do well, including benefiting from the new Microsoft Vista operating system. In the three months ended June 30, 2007, Symantec’s sales rose 7.7%, to $1.4 billion from $1.3 billion a year earlier (all amounts in U.S. dollars). Earnings per share were unchanged at $0.10. But excluding unusual items, earnings per share were $0.29 in the latest quarter, up 20.8% from a year earlier. Symantec continues to implement its restructuring plan to cut costs. The plan includes a 5% reduction in its workforce. It’s also buying back shares issued in the Veritas purchase. The company spent $1 billion on share repurchases earlier this…