Core Insights - The GARP (Growth at a Reasonable Price) strategy combines value and growth investing, focusing on undervalued stocks with solid growth prospects [1][2][7] GARP Strategy Overview - GARP investing aims to provide an ideal investment by utilizing features from both value and growth investing, targeting stocks priced below market value with strong cash flow and earnings potential [3][4] - Ideal growth rates for GARP investors are between 10% and 20%, focusing on stable growth rather than super-normal rates [3] Screening Parameters - Stocks selected under the GARP strategy must have a Zacks Rank of 1 (Strong Buy) or 2 (Buy), with last 5-year EPS and projected 3-5 year EPS growth rates between 10% and 25% [6] - A return on equity (ROE) greater than the industry average and P/E and P/B ratios less than the industry average are also key criteria [6] Promising GARP Stocks - GE Aerospace is experiencing strong demand for commercial engines and expects organic revenue growth in the low-double-digit range for 2025, with a year-to-date stock surge of 62.1% [9][10] - Autodesk is benefiting from new business growth and strong demand for its cloud-based products, with a year-to-date return of 3.7% [12][13] - Adobe's tools are gaining traction, with over 700 million monthly active users, although the stock has declined 16.6% year-to-date [14][16] - Sprouts Farmers Market is well-positioned in the natural and organic food market, planning to open at least 35 new stores in 2025, with a year-to-date return of 23.5% [17][18][19]

Core Insights - Adobe shares closed at $365.79, approximately 38% below its 52-week high of $587.75, with a year-to-date appreciation of 17.7%, underperforming the Zacks Computer and Technology sector and the Zacks Computer – Software industry [1][2] Financial Performance - Since the second-quarter fiscal 2025 report on June 12, Adobe shares have dropped 11.5%, reflecting modest revenue growth prospects amid stiff competition in the AI space [2][9] - Fiscal 2025 revenues are projected between $23.5 billion and $23.6 billion, with non-GAAP earnings expected between $20.50 and $20.70 per share [15][16] - Digital Media Annual Recurring Revenue is expected to grow 11% year over year, with segment revenues anticipated between $17.45 billion and $17.50 billion [16] Competitive Landscape - Adobe's AI business is small compared to competitors like Microsoft and Alphabet, which are leveraging AI for significant revenue growth [3] - Adobe faces competition from DocuSign in the document services and e-signature domain [3] AI Portfolio Development - Adobe is expanding its AI portfolio with products like GenStudio and Firefly Services, tracking ahead of its $250 million Annual Recurring Revenue target for fiscal 2025 [4][9] - The company reported a Digital Media ARR of $18.09 billion, up 12% year over year [4] User Engagement and Product Innovation - Adobe's tools, such as Acrobat AI Assistant and Adobe Express, are gaining traction among business professionals and creators, with over 700 million monthly active users [12] - The Firefly App enhances Creative Cloud applications and supports third-party models, which is expected to boost its popularity [13] Strategic Guidance - Adobe's strategy includes leveraging the Adobe Experience Platform to deliver personalized customer experiences, enhancing advertising effectiveness [14] - The Zacks Consensus Estimate for third-quarter fiscal 2025 earnings is pegged at $5.16 per share, indicating a 10.97% growth from the previous year [17] Investment Outlook - Despite a premium valuation and competition, Adobe's focus on monetizing its AI tools presents a positive outlook for investors, supported by a Zacks Rank 2 (Buy) and a Growth Score of B [18]

STEVE DAY Good afternoon and thank you for joining us. With me on the call today are Shantanu Narayen, Adobe's Chair and CEO, David Wadhwani, President of Digital Media, Anil Chakravarthy, President of Digital Experience, and Dan Durn, Executive Vice President and CFO. Page 1 of 26 On this call, which is being recorded, we will discuss Adobe's second quarter fiscal year 2025 financial results. You can find our press release, as well as PDFs of our prepared remarks and financial results, on Adobe's Investor ...

Core Insights - Adobe shares are currently trading at a premium with a forward 12-month price/sales ratio of 6.14X, higher than the broader Zacks Computer and Technology sector's 5.06X and competitors like Salesforce and DocuSign [1][4] - Year-to-date, Adobe shares have declined by 21.3%, influenced by tariff-related challenges, competition in the AI space, and slow monetization of AI solutions [4][8] - Adobe's AI business is significantly smaller compared to major competitors like Microsoft and Alphabet, which are experiencing growth in their AI services [8] Financial Performance - Adobe's new AI business generated over $125 million in the first quarter of fiscal 2025, representing a low single-digit percentage of total revenues of $4.23 billion [11] - For fiscal 2025, Adobe expects Digital Media segment revenues between $17.25 billion and $17.40 billion, and total revenue guidance between $23.30 billion and $23.55 billion [12][13] - The Zacks Consensus Estimate for fiscal 2025 earnings is $20.36 per share, indicating a 10.53% growth over fiscal 2024 [14] Competitive Landscape - Adobe faces stiff competition in the AI and Generative AI sectors, particularly from Microsoft and Alphabet, which are seeing significant growth in their AI-related revenues [8] - Despite the competition, Adobe has expanded its AI portfolio with new offerings like Adobe GenStudio and Firefly Services, aimed at enhancing marketing collaboration [9][10] Investment Outlook - Adobe's focus on Generative AI and innovative product offerings are seen as key growth catalysts, making it a potential long-term investment for current shareholders [15] - However, the current valuation is considered stretched, making the stock less attractive for value-oriented investors [16] - Adobe's stock is trading below its 50-day and 200-day moving averages, indicating a bearish trend [16]

Investment Rating - The report maintains a "BUY" rating for Adobe, indicating a potential return of over 15% over the next 12 months [18]. Core Insights - Adobe's 1QFY25 results showed total revenue of US$5.71 billion, up 11% YoY in constant currency, and non-GAAP net income of US$2.22 billion, up 9% YoY, both in line with consensus estimates [1]. - The company expects its AI standalone products' annual recurring revenue (ARR) to double by the end of FY25, contributing approximately 1% to total revenue [1]. - Adobe's Digital Media revenue increased by 11% YoY to US$4.23 billion in 1QFY25, driven by strong growth in Acrobat and Creative offerings [6]. - The company has slightly lowered its FY25-27 earnings forecast by 0-1% and adjusted its target price to US$629.00 based on a 32x FY25E non-GAAP PE [1][9]. Financial Performance - For FY25E, Adobe's revenue is projected to be US$23.43 billion, with a YoY growth of 8.9% [2]. - Adjusted net profit for FY25E is estimated at US$8.79 billion, with an adjusted EPS of US$19.66 [2]. - The company reported a non-GAAP operating profit margin of 46.1% for FY25E, slightly down from previous estimates [7]. Revenue Breakdown - Adobe's Digital Experience revenue grew by 9% YoY to US$1.41 billion in 1QFY25, primarily due to strong demand for the Adobe Experience platform [6]. - The company has begun to provide a breakdown of revenue streams by customer groups to enhance its customer-focused strategy [6]. Shareholder Actions - Adobe accelerated its share repurchase program, buying back 7.0 million shares for US$3.25 billion in 1QFY25, which is about 2% of its market cap [6]. - The company plans to continue share repurchases if it believes the stock is undervalued [6].