Stock of the Day

October 21, 2020

Fair Isaac (FICO)

$769.73
+$50.10 (+7.0%)
Market Cap: $15.54B

About Fair Isaac

Fair Isaac Corporation develops analytic, software, and digital decisioning technologies and services that enable businesses to automate, enhance, and connect decisions in the Americas, Europe, the Middle East, Africa, and the Asia Pacific. The company operates in two segments, Scores and Software. The Software segment provides pre-configured analytic and decision management solution designed for various business needs or processes, such as account origination, customer management, customer engagement, fraud detection, financial crimes compliance, and marketing, as well as associated professional services. This segment also offers FICO Platform, a modular software offering designed to support advanced analytic and decision use cases, as well as stand-alone analytic and decisioning software that can be configured by customers to address a wide range of business use cases. The Scores segment provides business-to-business scoring solutions and services for consumers that give clients access to predictive credit and other scores that can be integrated into their transaction streams and decision-making processes, as well as business-to-consumer scoring solutions comprising myFICO.com subscription offerings. It offers FICO Customer Analytics, FICO Responsible AI, FICO Advisors, FICO Business Outcome Simulator, FICO Forecaster, FICO TRIAD Customer Manager, FICO Blaze Advisor, FICO Xpress Optimization, FICO Falcon Fraud Manager, FICO Analytics Workbench, FICO Data Orchestrator, FICO DMP Streaming, FICO Decision Optimizer, and FICO Strategy Director, as well as software implementation and configuration services. The company markets its products and services primarily through its direct sales organization and indirect channels, as well as online. The company was formerly known as Fair Isaac & Company, Inc. and changed its name to Fair Isaac Corporation in July 1992. Fair Isaac Corporation was founded in 1956 and is headquartered in Bozeman, Montana.

Fair Isaac Bull Case

Here are some ways that investors could benefit from investing in Fair Isaac Co.:

  • The stock is currently trading at $719.12, which is significantly below the consensus price target of $1,210.38 set by analysts, suggesting substantial potential for price appreciation as the market re-evaluates the company's long-term value.
  • Fair Isaac Co. recently reported strong financial performance with revenue up 25.7% year-over-year and earnings per share of $12.18, beating consensus estimates, indicating that the core business remains robust despite recent market volatility.
  • The company is implementing a 15% workforce reduction to integrate artificial intelligence and restructure operations, a move that could improve operational efficiency and reduce costs, potentially enhancing future profit margins.
  • Institutional investors continue to show confidence in the company, with major firms like BlackRock and Primecap Management establishing new stakes or increasing holdings, which often signals long-term institutional support for the stock.
  • The company maintains a high net margin of 34.05%, demonstrating strong profitability and the ability to convert revenue into profit, which is a key indicator of financial health for investors.

Fair Isaac Bear Case

Investors should be bearish about investing in Fair Isaac Co. for these reasons:

  • The stock has experienced a significant decline, dropping approximately 60% from its year-end 2025 close, reflecting severe market skepticism and a loss of investor confidence in the company's current trajectory.
  • Recent regulatory changes, including the FHFA's mortgage credit score announcement, have challenged the company's dominant position in the mortgage lending market, posing a direct threat to its revenue streams and competitive moat.
  • Several major financial institutions, including Bank of America and Zacks Research, have recently downgraded the stock to "neutral" or "strong sell," indicating that professional analysts are increasingly concerned about the company's future growth prospects.
  • Insider selling activity has been notable, with directors and executives, including CEO William J. Lansing, selling significant portions of their holdings, which can be interpreted as a lack of confidence in the stock's near-term performance.
  • The company faces potential legal risks, as evidenced by a securities investigation notice from Levi & Korsinsky regarding potential violations related to the recent regulatory announcements and stock price volatility.

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