Please ensure Javascript is enabled for purposes of website accessibility

EDS Feels Tedious

By Anders Bylund – Updated Apr 5, 2017 at 9:06PM

You’re reading a free article with opinions that may differ from The Motley Fool’s Premium Investing Services. Become a Motley Fool member today to get instant access to our top analyst recommendations, in-depth research, investing resources, and more. Learn More

This company could go places, but it's not trying hard enough.

EDS (NYSE: EDS) may have invented the IT outsourcing business model, but that market's gotten crowded these days, and growth is hard to come by.

Last quarter, the company grew sales at a tepid 2% year over year, and even that anemic improvement came from acquisitions and currency exchange effects. Excluding those items, you'd get 3% of organic shrinkage.

Over the past year, EDS has languished among the laggards of the IT services sector, along with Infosys Technologies (Nasdaq: INFY) and Wipro. That's why I'm not terribly shocked to see another disappointing quarter, even after good numbers from IBM (NYSE: IBM) and Accenture (NYSE: ACN).

The loss of one large contract from Verizon (NYSE: VZ) was the biggest reason for the disappointing revenue. It would be unfair to say that EDS wasn't diversified enough, though. After all, the company sells support contracts for everything from copy machines, data networks, and server hardware to databases, Web servers, and business management software. EDS counts both Oracle (Nasdaq: ORCL) and its archrival SAP AG (NYSE: SAP) among its direct partners, for example.

But its international customer base could probably stand to expand a bit. Domestic sales make up 44% of EDS's fourth-quarter revenue. For both IBM and Accenture, North and South America together composed just 40% of sales. EDS saw domestic sales drop 8% year over year, with 28% lower operating income to boot, while business in every other part of the world increased

It's hardly "game over" for EDS. Its cash flows are strong and growing, and management says that the incoming order volume still looks good. That's why a 30% share price drop in just more than six months seems a bit harsh to this Fool. If EDS can get its international game going properly, there's no telling where this stock could go. But it will take a long time for that to happen -- if it ever does.

Further Foolishness:

Accenture is a Motley Fool Inside Value recommendation. See the rest of our market-beating bargain picks with a free 30-day trial subscription.

Fool contributor Anders Bylund holds no position in any of the companies discussed here. You can check out Anders' holdings if you like, and Foolish disclosure has a global profile like no other.

Invest Smarter with The Motley Fool

Join Over 1 Million Premium Members Receiving…

  • New Stock Picks Each Month
  • Detailed Analysis of Companies
  • Model Portfolios
  • Live Streaming During Market Hours
  • And Much More
Get Started Now

Stocks Mentioned

Verizon Communications Inc. Stock Quote
Verizon Communications Inc.
VZ
$38.93 (-1.49%) $0.59
International Business Machines Corporation Stock Quote
International Business Machines Corporation
IBM
$122.01 (-0.57%) $0.70
Oracle Corporation Stock Quote
Oracle Corporation
ORCL
$63.45 (-1.70%) $-1.10
Infosys Limited Stock Quote
Infosys Limited
INFY
$16.69 (0.48%) $0.08
Accenture plc Stock Quote
Accenture plc
ACN
$257.54 (-0.94%) $-2.44
SAP Stock Quote
SAP
SAP
$79.63 (0.20%) $0.16

*Average returns of all recommendations since inception. Cost basis and return based on previous market day close.

Related Articles

Motley Fool Returns

Motley Fool Stock Advisor

Market-beating stocks from our award-winning analyst team.

Stock Advisor Returns
329%
 
S&P 500 Returns
106%

Calculated by average return of all stock recommendations since inception of the Stock Advisor service in February of 2002. Returns as of 09/26/2022.

Discounted offers are only available to new members. Stock Advisor list price is $199 per year.

Premium Investing Services

Invest better with The Motley Fool. Get stock recommendations, portfolio guidance, and more from The Motley Fool's premium services.