From 1999 to 2000, companies such as Microsoft Corporation (NASDAQ:MSFT) and Yahoo! Inc. (NASDAQ:YHOO) saw large run-ups in their stock prices before tumbling back down. Microsoft saw its stock up 68% from 1999-2000, and Yahoo was up 145% over the same year. Salesforce is up over 400% since 2009, versus the S&P, up only 70%. The P/E ratios for Microsoft and Yahoo were also well out of line—Microsoft traded as high as 74x and Yahoo 263x. Salesforce currently trades at some ginormous valuation multiples—including a forward P/E of 104, versus the industry average of 15x. As well, Salesforce trades at a P/S of 8.3, compared to the industry’s 2.1x.
Yahoo now trades at a P/E of 18 and is down 84% since 2000. Microsoft and Yahoo have joined forces in a search and advertising pact that allows Microsoft to power Yahoo’s search results and non-premium related advertising. Yahoo still has a solid presence, with over 700 million users around the world—and is an Empyrean Capital Partners’ Top Pick. However, Yahoo has seen issues arise with execution and monetization.
Also taking a plunge post-2000 was Microsoft, which is down almost 50% since 2000 and now has a P/E of 15. The company still has large dependencies on its Windows brand, with revenue for Windows and Windows Live expected to be up 17% in 2013. The company, who has traded in a tight range for several years is looking to break out with prospects in the mobile sector, having launched a Windows operating system. As well, Microsoft recently purchased a mobile security firm.
Salesforce continues to post strong results, with billings up 30% year over year for 2Q. Salesforce products have shown strong demand for its customer-facing applications. The CRM applications that salesforce provides has become popular with a number of companies, those focused on retaining existing customers and attracting new ones. Management also raised 2013 guidance above consensus expectations—now expecting a 34% rise in sales for 2013, with a 34% increase in subscription and support sales and 25% in professional services. Also, in August Salesforce acquired Buddy Media, giving the company exposure to the fast-growing marketing management market.
A couple key competitors include Oracle Corporation (NASDAQ:ORCL) and Adobe Systems Inc. (NASDAQ:ADBE). Oracle is still finishing integration of Sun Microsystems post the acquisition, which should help the company with synergies in its hardware business. However, margins are expected to contract and organic revenue growth slow as pricing is pressured. This is due to the growing adoption of cloud-computing technologies from other vendors, but Oracle is looking to engage in notable cloud related acquisitions, already acquiring RightNow for $1.5 billion in January 2012 and Taleo for $1.9 billion in April 2012—see how Oracle can make billions in this industry.
Adobe is being pressured from weakness in Europe and disasters in Japan, but revenue is expected to be up 5% in 2012. Earlier this year Adobe launched a new Creative Cloud service, essentially a software-as-a-service offering that gives customers access to the entire portfolio of Adobe products. The launch of this service has disrupted the company’s sales cycle, as subscribers shift to the new monthly model. This sales model transition has caused next quarter EPS guidance to be revised downward from $2.61 to $2.41—but is Adobe a good stock to buy?
The software-as-a-service (SaaS) industry is still in its infancy, and should continue to grow as businesses shift IT costs from fixed to variable. However, we question whether Salesforce’s price is justified by its potential growth. The company has grown at a 62% CAGR over the past five years, but is expected to only grow at a 28% CAGR over the next five years, and as a result we remain cautious on whether it can keep pace with growth projections.
