Research spending is a hidden plus

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SYMANTEC CORP. $18.71 (Nasdaq symbol SYMC; SI Rating: Average) (1-408-517-8000; www.symantec.com; Shares outstanding: 810.6 million; Market cap: $15.2 billion; No dividends paid) makes software that protects computers from viruses and electronic attacks. The popular Norton anti-virus program is its best-known product. In the three months ended October 2, 2009, Symantec earned $294 million, or $0.36 a share. That’s down 5.8% from $312 million, or $0.37 a share, a year earlier. These figures exclude non-recurring items, such as the cost of integrating companies Symantec bought, and writedowns of buildings it plans to sell. Despite the drop, the latest earnings beat the $0.33 a share that analysts were expecting. That was entirely because of the company’s cost cuts, as its revenue fell 2.9%, to $1.47 billion from $1.52 billion. Symantec has grown quickly over the past few years, mainly by purchasing other software firms. It is now focusing on increasing its market share and profitability. As well, Symantec continues to spend 14% of its…