Tuesday

Ultimate Software Earnings Seen Doubling For Q1


Analysts are bullish about Ultimate Software Group's  first-quarter earnings report out after the market close Tuesday.

Ultimate is a leading provider of human resources management, payroll and talent management software. It competes with a wide range of rivals, including Automatic Data Processing, Ceridian and Oracle. Database leader Oracle bought Ultimate rival Taleo for $1.9 billion in 2012.

Ultimate has used its software-as-a-service model, where companies pay on a monthly basis, to lure customers from its rivals.



For Q1, analysts polled by Thomson Reuters expect Ultimate to report a per-share profit ex items of 26 cents, up from 13 cents in Q1 2012.

Revenue is expected to rise 25% to $97.9 million.

For the current quarter, analysts expect EPS ex items of 32 cents, up 52%, on sales of $98.2 million, up 24%.

Shares of Ultimate were up 1.7% in afternoon trading in the stock market today, and shares have again poked above their 10-day moving average. But the stock has an IBD Accumulation/Distribution rating of a lowly E, signaling institutional investor selling.

source: news.investors.com