8x8 Inc. Stock Downgraded (EGHT)

Editor's Note: TheStreet ratings do not represent the views of TheStreet's staff or its contributors. Ratings are established by computer based on metrics for performance (which includes growth, stock performance, efficiency and valuation) and risk (volatility and solvency). Companies with poor cash flow or high debt levels tend to earn lower ratings in our model.

NEW YORK (TheStreet) -- 8x8 (Nasdaq:EGHT) has been downgraded by TheStreet Ratings from buy to hold. The company's strengths can be seen in multiple areas, such as its robust revenue growth, notable return on equity and solid stock price performance. However, as a counter to these strengths, we find that the growth in the company's earnings per share has not been good.

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Highlights from the ratings report include:

• The revenue growth came in higher than the industry average of 9.5%. Since the same quarter one year prior, revenues rose by 33.0%. This growth in revenue appears to have trickled down to the company's bottom line, improving the earnings per share.
• The company's current return on equity greatly increased when compared to its ROE from the same quarter one year prior. This is a signal of significant strength within the corporation. Compared to other companies in the Diversified Telecommunication Services industry and the overall market, 8X8 INC's return on equity significantly exceeds that of both the industry average and the S&P 500.
• The gross profit margin for 8X8 INC is currently very high, coming in at 71.50%. It has increased from the same quarter the previous year. Regardless of the strong results of the gross profit margin, the net profit margin of 6.60% trails the industry average.
• 8X8 INC reported significant earnings per share improvement in the most recent quarter compared to the same quarter a year ago. The company has demonstrated a pattern of positive earnings per share growth over the past year. However, we anticipate underperformance relative to this pattern in the coming year. During the past fiscal year, 8X8 INC increased its bottom line by earning $0.95 versus $0.10 in the prior year. For the next year, the market is expecting a contraction of 78.9% in earnings ($0.20 versus $0.95).

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8x8, Inc. develops and markets telecommunications services for Internet protocol (IP), telephony, and video applications. It also offers contact center, Web-based conferencing, and unified communications services, as well as cloud-based computing services. The company has a P/E ratio of 6.2, below the S&P 500 P/E ratio of 17.7. 8x8 has a market cap of $486 million and is part of the technology sector and telecommunications industry. Shares are up 114.5% year to date as of the close of trading on Wednesday.

You can view the full 8x8 Ratings Report or get investment ideas from our investment research center.

-- Written by a member of TheStreet Ratings Staff

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For more information on 8x8 Inc. click any of the following:

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• 8x8 Inc. Earnings

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• 8x8 Inc. Growth Rates

• 8x8 Inc. Balance Sheet

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• 8x8 Inc. Income Statement