Through The Fly's Eyes: Premiere Global Services

Larry Schutts is a contributing editor for Theflyonthewall.com and the Vice-President of Stockwinners.com.














Premiere Global: Streamlining Communication-centric Business Processes

The wide range of business communications possibilities available through the Internet is exciting, but it can also be confusing. Fortunately, there is an experienced firm in Atlanta, Georgia that is ready to get you going.

Premiere Global Services (PGI) develops communication technology solutions applicable to such business needs as conferencing, document sharing, marketing and notifications. The firm's Conferencing and Collaboration unit provides teleconferencing and Web-conferencing services, including Internet-based document sharing tools. The unit works with popular presentation software packages from Adobe Systems (ADBE), IBM (IBM) and Microsoft (MSFT), among others. The Data Communications segment automates functions like invoice distribution, appointment scheduling, eMarketing and collections. The company has a customer base of about 60,000 corporate accounts, including nearly eighty percent of the Fortune 500.

Premiere Global pleased the Street last week, when it reported Q1 EPS of 19 cents and revenues of $135.6 million. Analysts had been expecting 17 cents and $129.8 million. Management also predicted FY07 revenues at the high end of its previous guidance range ($517.6M-527.4M), versus consensus of $525.6 million. The company further said it would commence a $150 million self-tender offer, which it projected would be accretive to its diluted earnings per share.

The issue popped above 30-day moving average support on the news and then passed into a bullish "flag" consolidation pattern. Stocks frequently exit flags moving in the same direction they were traveling when they entered them. In this case, that would be to the upside. Altogether, the brokerage community recommends the shares with one "strong buy", one "buy" and two "holds". Analysts see a 24 percent growth rate, through the next year. The PGI Price to Sales ratio (1.71), Price to Book ratio (2.68), Price to Free Cash Flow ratio (20.54) and EPS Growth rate (58.33%) compare favorably with industry, sector and S&P 500 averages.

Institutions hold about 82% of the outstanding shares. Over the past 52 weeks, the stock has traded between $6.83 and $12.45. A stop-loss of $10.75 looks good here.