Symantec Corp Stock Buy Recommendation Reiterated (SYMC)

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) -- Symantec (Nasdaq:SYMC) has been reiterated by TheStreet Ratings as a buy with a ratings score of B . The company's strengths can be seen in multiple areas, such as its revenue growth, solid stock price performance, notable return on equity, attractive valuation levels and good cash flow from operations. We feel these strengths outweigh the fact that the company has had sub par growth in net income.

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Highlights from the ratings report include:

• SYMC's revenue growth has slightly outpaced the industry average of 1.8%. Since the same quarter one year prior, revenues slightly increased by 4.4%. This growth in revenue does not appear to have trickled down to the company's bottom line, displayed by a decline in earnings per share.
• Compared to its closing price of one year ago, SYMC's share price has jumped by 26.22%, exceeding the performance of the broader market during that same time frame. Regarding the stock's future course, although almost any stock can fall in a broad market decline, SYMC should continue to move higher despite the fact that it has already enjoyed a very nice gain in the past year.
• Current return on equity exceeded its ROE from the same quarter one year prior. This is a clear sign of strength within the company. Compared to other companies in the Software industry and the overall market, SYMANTEC CORP's return on equity exceeds that of both the industry average and the S&P 500.
• Net operating cash flow has increased to $463.00 million or 14.88% when compared to the same quarter last year. The firm also exceeded the industry average cash flow growth rate of -24.32%.

Symantec Corporation provides security, storage, and systems management solutions to various organization and consumers worldwide. It operates in four segments: Consumer, Security and Compliance, Storage and Server Management, and Services. Symantec has a market cap of $15.64 billion and is part of the technology sector and computer software & services industry. The company has a P/E ratio of 14.6, below the S&P 500 P/E ratio of 17.7. Shares are up 20.6% year to date as of the close of trading on Wednesday.

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

--Written by a member of TheStreet Ratings Staff.

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