Topic: Growth Stocks

ADOBE SYSTEMS $33.44 – Nasdaq symbol ADBE

ADOBE SYSTEMS $33.44 (Nasdaq symbol ADBE; TSINetwork Rating: Average) (408-536-6000; www.adobe.com; Shares outstanding: 496.1 million; Market cap: $16.6 billion; No dividends paid) makes software that lets computer users create, edit and share documents in the popular PDF format. As well, graphic designers use Adobe’s software to create print publications and web pages.

Adobe’s revenue rose 6.6% in the three months ended August 31, 2012, to $1.08 billion from $1.03 billion a year earlier. Even so, that missed the consensus estimate of $1.1 billion.

The company is doing a good job of selling its Creative Cloud package of photo-editing and desktop-publishingprograms as a subscription service instead of a one-time purchase.

Subscription sales will bring stability

Subscription revenue jumped 50.9% in the quarter, and now accounts for 16% of Adobe’s overall revenue, up from 11% a year earlier. The company still gets 75% of its revenue from direct software sales. The remaining 9% comes from services and support.

Excluding one-time items, earnings rose 6.7%, to $291.2 million from $272.8 million. Earnings per share rose 5.5%, to $0.58 from $0.55, on more shares outstanding.

Moving to a subscription model will slow Adobe’s short-term revenue and earnings growth, but it should give the company steadier revenue streams. Because of this ongoing switch, Adobe expects to earn between $0.53 and $0.58 a share in its current quarter. That’s well below the consensus estimate of $0.67.

Adobe Systems is still a hold.

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