Gen Digital is cutting cost to lower risk

Article Excerpt

GEN DIGITAL INC., $21.53, is a buy. The company (Nasdaq symbol GEN; TSINetwork Rating: Extra Risk) (gendigital.com; Shares o/s: 661.0 million; Market cap: $14.2 billion; Divd. yield: 2.3%) is now dually headquartered in Arizona and the Czech Republic following its $8.1 billion acquisition of Avast plc. Meanwhile, the company expects that merger will let it cut $300 million from its annual costs within two years. That will help Gen pay down the debt it took on to buy Avast. Growth by acquisition adds risk, especially with a purchase as big as that one. However, demand for cybersecurity is now booming; and Avast is very complementary to the company’s existing offerings and customer base. Gen Digital is a buy. buy…