Business software company BMC Software Inc. said Wednesday its profit grew 10 percent in the fiscal third quarter on greater maintenance and professional service revenue.

Over the three months ended Dec. 31, BMC said its profit increased to $119.9 million, or 71 cents per share, from $109.1 million, or 60 cents per share. Excluding one-time items, BMC said its profit rose to 93 cents per share. Revenue rose 2 percent, to $548.2 million from $539.9 million.

Analysts were forecasting a profit of 82 cents per share and revenue of $556.8 million, according to estimates compiled by FactSet.

BMC said its license revenue fell 4 percent to $225 million, but maintenance revenue rose 5 percent to $272.3 million and professional service revenue grew 11 percent to $50.9 million.

The company raised its profit forecast for the full year, saying it now expects adjusted income of $3.26 to $3.34 per share for the fiscal year ending in March. That estimate includes about 4 cents per share in charges related to its planned acquisition of Numara Software, and it excludes about 90 to 95 cents per share in one-time charges. BMC previously forecast an adjusted profit of $3.21 to $3.31 per share.

The company agreed to buy Numara, which provides information technology management services, on Monday. BMC says the deal will cost about $300 million and the purchase should be completed during the fiscal fourth quarter.

BMC still expects its full-year revenue to grow in the mid-single digits from the $2.07 billion it reported in fiscal 2011.

Analysts are forecasting a profit of $3.24 per share and $2.19 billion in revenue, which implies revenue growth of 6 percent.

Shares of BMC Software fell 40 cents to $35.86 Wednesday, and rebounded 29 cents to $36.15 in aftermarket trading following the release of the earnings report.

Source:http://abcnews.go.com/Technology/wireStory/bmc-software-3q-profit-rises-10-percent-15493141#.Tyn6FsXrqgQ

Gives customers the access to IT management capabilities geared to their unique requirements

Business Service Management (BSM) firm BMC Software has entered into a definitive agreement to purchase integrated IT management offerings provider Numara Software.

With the acquisition, BMC will be able to further accelerate the growth of Software-as-a-Service (SaaS) business, as well as giving customers access to IT management capabilities geared to their unique requirements.

In addition, the acquisition will create a broad portfolio of IT management offerings and services with flexibility and choice for mid-sized organisations that have around 500 to 5,000 employees.

BMC’s expanded offering will include the Numara FootPrints product; the BMC Remedyforce Service Desk offering; as well as BMC Network Automation as part of the BMC Bladelogic Automation Suite; BMC Atrium Discovery and Dependency Mapping; and BMC End User Experience Management as part of the BMC Application Management Suite.

BMC will now offer Numara’s Track-It! help desk and asset management offering for smaller organisations and these products complement BMC’s offerings for large enterprises.

BMC Enterprise Service Management president Paul Avenant said BMC can now effectively serve the entire spectrum of organisations hungry for IT management with products that truly meet the specific needs of their businesses.

“Numara’s solutions, customer base and sales and channel partners will round out BMC’s market leadership in Business Service Management and focus on customer care and support.

Source:http://enterpriseapplications.cbronline.com/news/bmc-to-acquire-numara-software-310112

It’s been a less-than-stellar session on Wall Street, as all-too-familiar anxieties about European debt have resurfaced ahead of tomorrow’s Italian bond auction. With the major market indexes sitting on notable losses, the number of stocks at new annual lows has swelled. The NYSE tallies 93 equities at 52-week highs, along with 37 names at new lows. Meanwhile, the Nasdaq reports just 19 annual highs, compared to 56 fresh lows. Fastenal Company (FAST – 43.81) is among the dozens of stocks hitting bullish technical landmarks today, while BMC Software, Inc. (BMC – 32.25) has backpedaled to an annual nadir.

First up, FAST touched an intraday peak of $44.28 — marking a new all-time best for the shares. The stock has gained an impressive 46.5% in 2011, and FAST’s rise has been underlined by support at its 10-week moving average since September.

With the stock exploring previously uncharted territory in today’s trading, it’s no surprise to find call volume ramping up on FAST. So far, more than 4,300 calls have crossed the tape, representing about eight times the equity’s expected volume. Most active is the January 2012 42.50 call, where 3,212 contracts have been exchanged. The majority of these contracts traded closer to the ask price, suggesting they were most likely purchased.

On the other hand, BMC bottomed out at $32.20, representing a new two-year low for the stock. The software specialist has shed roughly 30% of its value in 2011, with the most recent leg of BMC’s downtrend highlighted by resistance at its 10-day and 20-day moving averages.

On the sentiment front, short interest on BMC surged by 28.6% over the past month, but these bearish bets account for a fairly tame 1.9% of the equity’s float. If bears continue to pile on, the resulting selling pressure could send BMC to fresh multi-year lows during the near term.

Source:http://www.schaeffersresearch.com/commentary/content/highs+lows+fastenal+and+bmc+software/trading_floor_blog.aspx?single=true&blogid=109380