Based on the aggregated intelligence of 170,000-plus investors participating in Motley Fool CAPS, the Fool's free investing community, network solutions specialist Acme Packet
With that in mind, let's take a closer look at Acme Packet's business and see what CAPS investors are saying about the stock right now.
Acme Packet facts
| Headquarters (Founded) | Burlington, Mass. (2000) |
| Market Cap | $4.36 billion |
| Industry | Communications equipment |
| Trailing-12-Month Revenue | $231.23 million |
| Management |
Co-Founder/CEO Andrew Ory Co-Founder/Chief Technology Officer Patrick MeLampy |
| Return on Equity (Average Past 3 Years) | 11.3% |
| Cash/Debt | $270.69 million / $0 |
| Competitors |
Cisco Systems
Juniper Networks
Sonus Networks |
Sources: Capital IQ (a division of Standard & Poor's) and Motley Fool CAPS.
On CAPS, 16% of the 537 members who have rated Acme Packet believe the stock will underperform the S&P 500 going forward. These bears include buffalonate and 2good2betrue.
Just two weeks ago, buffalonate summed up the Acme Packet bear case in just two words: "Drastically overpriced."
In fact, Acme Packet currently trades at a lofty price-to-cash flow of 82.6. That represents a clear premium to competitors Cisco (9.5), Juniper (26), and Sonus (54.3).
CAPS member 2good2betrue elaborates on the bear case:
Great product, great technical people, and proven leadership have finally added up for investors -- evident from recent major moves of the stock ... However, all these gains have not come with significant increases in revenue. ... [F]olks like [Sonus] and [Cisco] are increasingly gaining on [Acme Packet], lowering their product margins, and incorporating similar technology into their big iron. ... Looking for [Acme] to take a haircut here and then fall back to a very slow but steady growth. ... Keep an eye on this one, but you would be crazy to buy it in the 60s...
What do you think about Acme Packet, or any other stock for that matter? If you want to retire rich, you need to protect your portfolio from any undue risk. Staying away from dangerous stocks is crucial to securing your financial future, and on Motley Fool CAPS, thousands of investors are working every day to flag them. CAPS is 100% free, so get started!
