Acquisition moves a step closer

Article Excerpt

NORTONLIFELOCK INC. $21 is a buy. The company (Nasdaq symbol NLOK; High-Growth Dividend Payer Portfolio, Consumer sector; Shares outstanding: 665.6 million; Market cap: $14.0 billion; Dividend yield: 2.4%; Dividend Sustainability Rating: Average; www.nortonlifelock.com) last raised its quarterly dividend by 7.0% with the December 2019 payment, to $0.125 a share from $0.075. The new annual rate of $0.50 yields 2.4%. The company has just received key regulatory approval to complete its acquisition of European cybersecurity firm Avast plc for $8 billion. Avast primarily makes both free and premium security software for consumers such as desktop security, server and mobile-device protection. It has 435 million active users, and its 2021 revenue was roughly $940 million. Growth by acquisition adds risk, especially with a purchase as big as Avast. However, demand for cybersecurity is now booming. NortonLifeLock is a buy. buy…