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)
Sign up for Kiplinger’s Free E-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.
-
The Best Stocks of the CenturyAs we near the 25-year mark, we looked at which stocks have returned the most. Here are the 10 best stocks of the century so far.
-
Barry Ritholtz: How to Spot Bad Investing Advice and Build a Resilient PortfolioBarry Ritholtz, a veteran money manager, shares common investing errors we all make and how to avoid them.
-
If You'd Put $1,000 Into Berkshire Hathaway Stock 20 Years Ago, Here's What You'd Have TodayBerkshire Hathaway is a long-time market beater, but the easy money in BRK.B has already been made.
-
If You'd Put $1,000 Into Procter & Gamble Stock 20 Years Ago, Here's What You'd Have TodayProcter & Gamble stock is a dependable dividend grower, but a disappointing long-term holding.
-
My Three-Day Rule for Investing: And If it Applies NowStock Market I've seen a lot in my career. Here's what I see now in the stock market.
-
Is It Time to Invest in Europe?Stock Market Europe is being shaken out of its lethargy, militarily and otherwise, by Donald Trump's changes in U.S. policy. Should investors start buying?
-
Why Is Warren Buffett Selling So Much Stock?Berkshire Hathaway is dumping equities, hoarding cash and making market participants nervous.
-
If You'd Put $1,000 Into Google Stock 20 Years Ago, Here's What You'd Have TodayGoogle parent Alphabet has been a market-beating machine for ages.
-
Stock Market Today: Stocks Retreat Ahead of Nvidia EarningsMarkets lost ground on light volume Wednesday as traders keyed on AI bellwether Nvidia earnings after the close.
-
Stock Market Today: Stocks Edge Higher With Nvidia Earnings in FocusNvidia stock gained ground ahead of tomorrow's after-the-close earnings event, while Super Micro Computer got hit by a short seller report.
