The Best Stock in South Carolina: Blackbaud
We analyzed publicly traded companies based in the Palmetto State to identify the best stock in South Carolina to buy now.
We scoured the nation to identify the best stock in every state. Blackbaud (symbol BLKB) is the publicly traded company we picked in South Carolina. The company headquarters is located in Charleston.
A word of caution: Since we selected a single stock from each state (plus one from D.C), and choices in some states are sparse, a few of our picks are best suited to investors comfortable with a higher degree of risk. This is not necessarily one of our 51 favorite stocks in the entire U.S., in other words.
Blackbaud by the Numbers
- Headquarters: Charleston
- Share price: $87.61
- Market value: $4.2 billion
- Price-earnings ratio: 40
(Prices and data are as of June 22, 2017)
From just $107.88 $24.99 for Kiplinger Personal Finance
Become a smarter, better informed investor. Subscribe from just $107.88 $24.99, plus get up to 4 Special Issues
Sign up for Kiplinger’s Free Newsletters
Profit and prosper with the best of expert advice on investing, taxes, retirement, personal finance and more - straight to your e-mail.
Profit and prosper with the best of expert advice - straight to your e-mail.
Blackbaud develops and services software used by philanthropic, higher-education and nonprofit organizations to manage their finances and member relations.
None of the company’s competitors offer the extensive suite of services that Blackbaud does, giving the firm a significant edge, says Morningstar analyst Rodney Nelson. Because Blackbaud’s software handles complex processes, it’s costly and difficult for companies to switch to a competing service, and more than 90% of Blackbaud’s customers renew their service contracts annually. Blackbaud boasts a roster of more than 35,000 customers, and it has a massive revenue lead in what Nelson calls an “underpenetrated and expanding” market for such software sales, currently commanding $6.3 billion in annual revenues. In recent years, the firm has grown by acquisition in all of its markets. Analysts at Stifel are encouraged by recent financial results, with the company expanding year-over-year revenue growth while migrating customers away from traditional service contracts to its more profitable subscription-based cloud software. They rate Blackbaud a “buy” with a 12-month price target of $96.
-
Don't Overpay the IRS: 6 Tax Mistakes That Could Be Raising Your BillTax Tips Is your income tax bill bigger than expected? Here's how you should prepare for next year.
-
Flashback Finance: The Cost of Retiring the Year You Were BornJust like groceries, gas and home prices, the cost of retiring is subject to inflation. Here is a look at what it cost to retire in the year you were born.
-
How One Hospital Visit Overseas Could Wreck Your FinancesProper planning can give you peace of mind and protection, regardless of what happens on your trips.
-
If You'd Put $1,000 Into UPS Stock 20 Years Ago, Here's What You'd Have TodayUnited Parcel Service stock has been a massive long-term laggard.
-
If You'd Put $1,000 Into Lowe's Stock 20 Years Ago, Here's What You'd Have TodayLowe's stock has delivered disappointing returns recently, but it's been a great holding for truly patient investors.
-
If You'd Put $1,000 Into 3M Stock 20 Years Ago, Here's What You'd Have TodayMMM stock has been a pit of despair for truly long-term shareholders.
-
If You'd Put $1,000 Into Coca-Cola Stock 20 Years Ago, Here's What You'd Have TodayEven with its reliable dividend growth and generous stock buybacks, Coca-Cola has underperformed the broad market in the long term.
-
If You Put $1,000 into Qualcomm Stock 20 Years Ago, Here's What You Would Have TodayQualcomm stock has been a big disappointment for truly long-term investors.
-
If You'd Put $1,000 Into Home Depot Stock 20 Years Ago, Here's What You'd Have TodayHome Depot stock has been a buy-and-hold banger for truly long-term investors.
-
If You'd Put $1,000 Into Bank of America Stock 20 Years Ago, Here's What You'd Have TodayBank of America stock has been a massive buy-and-hold bust.
-
If You'd Put $1,000 Into Oracle Stock 20 Years Ago, Here's What You'd Have TodayORCL Oracle stock has been an outstanding buy-and-hold bet for decades.
