What happened
Gartner, Inc (NYSE: IT) stock was on a downswing heading into February, and its fourth-quarter earnings report on Feb. 6 did nothing to buoy investors. Shares fell 18.3% last month, according to data provided by S&P Global Market Intelligence .
So what
The technology research company's revenue rose in the fourth quarter by 44% year over year, to $1.01 billion. Net income also jumped 61% from the year-ago quarter to $107 million, which translated into $1.16 in per-share earnings. Gartner's largest revenue segment, research, saw its sales jump by 19% (excluding revenue from the recent sale of one of its subsidiaries).
The company announced in the quarter that it's selling its CEB Talent Assessment business for $400 million to Exponent Private Equity. Gartner's CEO said that business was "not aligned with our core focus of providing research and advisory services."
Gartner's sell-off began a few days before the company's latest quarterly results were released, and it was clear from February's share price slump that the company's investors weren't impressed with the quarter overall.
Now what
Gartner's shares have since rebounded somewhat and are up about 9% so far this month. But a handful of share price pops and dips over the past 12 months have taken their toll. Gartner's stock has gained about 16% over the year, compared the S&P 500 's 17% gains.
10 stocks we like better than Gartner
When investing geniuses David and Tom Gardner have a stock tip, it can pay to listen. After all, the newsletter they have run for over a decade, Motley Fool Stock Advisor , has tripled the market.*
David and Tom just revealed what they believe are the 10 best stocks for investors to buy right now... and Gartner wasn't one of them! That's right -- they think these 10 stocks are even better buys.
Click here to learn about these picks!
*Stock Advisor returns as of March 5, 2018
Chris Neiger has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool recommends Gartner. 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.
The views and opinions expressed herein are the views and opinions of the author and do not necessarily reflect those of Nasdaq, Inc.
