Why Progress Software Stock Is Skyrocketing Today

Written by Keith Noonan for The Motley Fool->

Progress Software's fiscal Q2 sales and earnings beat Wall Street's targets.

The company also raised its guidance for the full fiscal year.

Progress Software (NASDAQ: PRGS) stock is surging in Wednesday's trading, having risen 17.9% as of 11 a.m. ET. The S&P 500 was flat% at the same point in the daily session, and the Nasdaq Composite was down 0.4%.

After yesterday's market close, Progress published results for the second quarter of its current fiscal year -- which ended May 31. The company posted sales and earnings for the period that beat Wall Street's expectations, and investors are also liking the software specialist's forward guidance.

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Progress Software recorded non-GAAP (adjusted) earnings of $1.62 on sales of $253.5 million in fiscal Q2, beating the average Wall Street analyst estimate's call for per-share earnings of $1.49 on sales of $242.74 million. Sales unexpectedly rose 6.7% year over year in the quarter, and net income surged 24% compared to the prior-year period. The company saw strong demand across its product portfolio, with AI-powered offerings helping to lift sales and earnings performance in the quarter.

Along with its fiscal Q2 report, Progress raised its earnings guidance for the fiscal year. The company now expects sales for the period to come in between $990 million and $1.02 billion -- up from its previous guidance for sales between $988 million and $1 billion. Meanwhile, adjusted earnings per share are projected to be between $6.09 and $6.21 -- with the midpoint of its guidance reflecting an $0.18 per share increase over its previous target.

The company also hiked its targets for adjusted free cash flow to between $271 million and $283 million for the year and unlevered free cash flow to between $323 million and $334 million. With Progress Software posting better-than-expected fiscal Q2 results and forward guidance and investors rotating cash back into software stocks, the company's valuation is getting a big boost today.

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Keith Noonan has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy.

The views and opinions expressed herein are the views and opinions of the author and do not necessarily reflect those of Nasdaq, Inc.

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