BMC Feels Macro, Currency Pressures

HOUSTON (TheStreet) -BMC Software (BMC), like many tech firms, showed the strain of both macroeconomic pressure and currency headwinds when it reported below-consensus quarterly results after Tuesday's closing bell.

The software maker's revenue came in at $504.4 million, flat compared to the same period last year, or up 2% on a constant currency basis. Analysts surveyed by Thomson Reuters were looking for a top-line total of $521.8 million.

Excluding items, BMC earned 65 cents a share, down from 72 cents a share in the prior year's quarter, and missing the average analysts' estimate of 74 cents a share.

BMC CEO Bob Beauchamp told TheStreet the performance of the company's Enterprise Service Management (ESM) division hurt the top-line numbers. "What we're talking about is an ESM license number coming in $12 million short of what we expected," he explained. "Roughly half of that was related to foreign currency and macro factors -- the other half was related to our ESM sales transformation."

Beauchamp nonetheless highlighted strength in the company's cloud business, which grew 95% year-over-year and now makes up almost 25% of ESM revenue. "Our growth engines are working very well," he said.

Mainstream Service Management (MSM), which makes up 40% of the company, also enjoyed a solid quarter, according to the CEO, with revenue up 1% compared to the same period last year. BMC's professional services revenue grew 12% year-over-year, he added.

BMC reiterated its fiscal 2013 outlook for earnings of $3.49 to $3.59 a share, a 9% increase on the same period last year.

The company, however, lowered its year-over-year revenue growth projection from mid-to-high single digits to mid-single digits, or mid-to-high single digits adjusted for the effects of currency.

BMC also adjusted its total bookings growth guidance from mid-to-high single digits to mid-single digits, or mid-to-high single digits on a constant currency basis.

The company's first-quarter numbers and guidance pushed its shares down 2.78% to $38.50 in extended trading on Tuesday.

BMC has also been in the spotlight in recent months thanks to activist investor Elliott Associates' attempt to push for a sale of the company.

1 2 Next › Last »