Adobe makes a smart acquisition

Article Excerpt

ADOBE SYSTEMS INC. $245 (Nasdaq symbol ADBE; Aggressive Growth Portfolio, Manufacturing & Industry sector; Shares outstanding: 488.1 million; Market cap: $119.6 billion; Price-to-sales ratio: 13.2; No dividends paid since June 2005; TSINetwork Rating: Average; www.adobe.com) continues to benefit from its switch to selling its software as ongoing subscriptions instead of one-time purchases. In the three months ended November 30, 2018, Adobe’s revenue rose 22.8%, to a record $2.46 billion from $2.01 billion. Earnings jumped 45.2%, to $1.83 a share from $1.26 a year earlier. Adobe recently acquired marketing-automation firm Marketo for $4.75 billion. That business helps brands track their customers’ actions online, from the time they get an email to the time they purchase a product. It then provides those brands with that information, which they can then use to create more-personalized promotions. The stock trades at 31.5 times the $7.78 a share it will likely earn in 2019. That high multiple increases the chance of a sharp decline if its sales growth slows. Adobe…