Research keeps these two techs ahead

Article Excerpt

ADOBE SYSTEMS INC. $196.45 (Nasdaq symbol ADBE; TSINetwork Rating: Average) (408-536-6000; www.adobe.com; Shares outstanding: 492.9 million; Market cap: $96.9 billion; No dividends paid) makes software that lets computer users create, edit and share documents in the popular PDF format. Graphic designers also use its programs to create print publications and webpages. Adobe continues to benefit from strong demand for its subscription services, especially for its Creative Cloud package of photo-editing and desktop-publishing programs. In its fiscal 2017 fourth quarter, ended December 1, 2017, the company earned $1.26 a share. That’s up 40.0% from $0.90 a year earlier. Adobe’s revenue also jumped, rising 24.8% to a record $2.01 billion from $1.61 billion. Recurring sales are a big plus The company continues to move away from the sale of software as a one-time purchase; it now gets 84% of its revenue from recurring sources (subscriptions). Adobe spends a high 17% of its sales on research and development. That investment helps the company compete in a rapidly…