Technology, Capital Markets, Corporate Governance, Leadership, Entrepreneurship
Tag: Software
For our inaugural CEO Hall of Fame class we selected CEO Hall of Fame members largely based upon their contribution toward building their respective companies as well as creating long-term shareholder value. Our selection process included a variety of quantitative and qualitative elements including financial operating performance, total stock returns, longevity, innovation, corporate governance and … Continue reading The CEORater CEO Hall of Fame Class of 2020
Not unlike other Technology companies, capital markets-focused FinTech companies have benefited in recent years from the Fed's persistent low interest rate policy and from the Trump tax cuts. The difference between this FinTech cohort and many Bay Area Enterprise Software companies is that this FinTech group generates meaningful cash flow (29% median Operating Cash Flow … Continue reading Capital Markets FinTech Companies Generate Cash for Your Investment Dollar
Rather than differentiate its product from Microsoft Teams, Slack Technologies is using the courts to compensate for its lack of creativity. Admittedly is it not easy to compete with Microsoft. This is especially true when your product is an undifferentiated horizontal offering. Rather than compete in the courts (Slack Files EU Competition Complaint Against Microsoft), … Continue reading Compete On the Playing Field. Not In Court.
Short-term greed has gripped some of the world's largest Technology companies. A number of CEOs and Boards are guilty of trading long-term innovation and customer value for short-term share price support. Innovative companies (we provide examples), have bucked the buyback trend. Record high corporate debt levels have funded record share buyback activity in recent years. … Continue reading Binging On Buybacks At Innovation’s Expense
The depression will be deep and broad. Yes, even the beloved Enterprise Software sector will be impacted despite investors who believe the sector is impervious to negative inputs. The bullet points below are not hypothetical puts to the economy. They are real and are happening now. Banks are tightening credit. Commercial bankers are tightening now. … Continue reading The Pain Is Coming & The Recovery Will Be Uneven
We are due for an equity market shakeout. The NASDAQ is up 450% since January 2009. The 26% spike in the NASDAQ from October 2019 to February 2020 on a lack of supporting fundamentals is like nothing I've ever seen. By late March we had traded down 30% from February's high yet we have gained … Continue reading The Market Is Upside Down
More Market Uncertainty Is Coming. However, Don't Paint with A Broad Brush. Align Yourself with Market Leaders. We expect Enterprise Software companies to provide conservative outlooks for the 2020 calendar year. We do not expect Enterprise Software companies to completely yank their respective 2020 outlooks as have other Technology companies. We anticipate negative investor sentiment … Continue reading Enterprise Software 2020 Outlook
This is a stock picker's market. The table seems to be set for a return to active management. It seems the equity markets have traded in synchronicity over the past number of weeks during the COVID outbreak. There has been little differentiation between individual Technology stocks on the way down and on up days. This … Continue reading The Return of Actively-Managed Funds
A Google Trends Analysis - SS&C Technologies (ticker: SSNC) vs. Charles River Development (ticker: STT) We performed a “Google Trends” analysis comparing Google search terms “SS&C Technologies” and “Charles River Development”. To access our report CLICK HERE. We measured the period September 1st 2019 through January 22nd 2020. Our analysis included Google searches conducted across … Continue reading SS&C vs. CRD
Debt remains cheap. Strategic acquirers and PE firms are flush with cash. It doesn't take a genius to arrive at the conclusion that Software & Services M&A activity will remain healthy in 2020 all else held equal. (tickers mentioned: ACN, AVGO). Today's news that Accenture (ticker: ACN) agreed to acquire Symantec's CyberSecurity Services business from … Continue reading One M&A Prophecy Fulfilled. More to Come.
