Topic: How To Invest

Pat: What is your view of Enghouse Systems? Regards.

Article Excerpt

Enghouse Systems, $51.84, symbol ESL on Toronto (Shares outstanding: 26.3 million; Market cap: $1.4 billion; www.enghouse.com), operates through two divisions. Interaction Management (which supplies 70% of total revenue) sells software for managing call centres, while the asset-management business (30% of revenue) provides engineering programs used by utilities, computer and telecommunications companies around the world. In the three months ended April 30, 2015, Enghouse’s revenue rose 25.0%, to $68.7 million from $55.0 million a year earlier, largely due to contributions from acquisitions. Earnings gained 15.4%, to $7.6 million, or $0.29 a share, from $6.6 million, or $0.25. The company’s balance sheet is sound: it holds cash of $88.5 million, or $3.36 a share, and has no debt. Here’s a closer look at Enghouse’s recent acquisitions: In May 2015, the company bought Reitek SpA, a provider of call-centre software and systems, for $6.2 million. This purchase expands Enghouse’s presence in Italy. In March 2015, it bought Denmark’s CDRator A/S for $23.0 million. This business, which had…