Adobe Drops 10% in a Month: Buy, Sell or Hold ADBE Stock?

Core Insights - Adobe's shares have declined 10.4% in the past month, underperforming the Zacks Computer and Technology sector's return of 1.3% and the Zacks Computer – Software industry's appreciation of 0.1% [1][7] - The underperformance is attributed to modest growth prospects due to stiff competition in the AI and generative AI space from major players like Microsoft, Alphabet, and Salesforce [1][19] Stock Performance - Adobe shares have underperformed compared to Microsoft, Alphabet, and Salesforce in the past 30 days, with Microsoft and Salesforce returning 0.6% and 0.7%, respectively, while Alphabet declined by 0.2% [2] - Currently, Adobe shares are trading below the 50-day and 200-day moving averages, indicating a bearish trend [9] Valuation Metrics - Adobe has a Value Score of C, indicating a stretched valuation, trading at a Price/Book ratio of 11.71X compared to the broader sector's 11.28X, Microsoft's 11.07X, Alphabet's 8.38X, and Salesforce's 3.82X [5] AI Business Growth - Adobe's AI-driven annual recurring revenues (ARR) surpassed $5 billion, with new AI-first products reaching a milestone of over $250 million [7][13] - The Digital Media ARR increased by 11.7% year over year at constant currency, driven by strong demand for AI-powered Creative Cloud Pro and Acrobat [14] - The Creative Professionals business benefited from increased demand for AI in Photoshop, Premiere Pro, and Illustrator, while the Marketing professionals business saw ARR growth of over 40% year over year [15][16] Financial Guidance - Adobe raised its fiscal 2025 revenue guidance to between $23.65 billion and $23.7 billion, up from the previous range of $23.5-$23.6 billion, and expects non-GAAP earnings between $20.80 and $20.85 per share [17] - The Zacks Consensus Estimate for fiscal 2025 revenues is pegged at $23.67 billion, indicating a 10.1% growth from fiscal 2024 [18] Competitive Landscape - Adobe's AI business is significantly smaller compared to competitors like Microsoft and Alphabet, which reported revenue growth of 18.1% and 13.8% year-over-year, respectively, compared to Adobe's 10.7% [19][20] - Adobe's net income margin contracted by 150 basis points, while Microsoft and Alphabet saw expansions of 160 and 140 basis points, respectively [20]