Mr. Chua, Analyst, focuses on emerging markets. Mr. Crosbie, Equity Associate, focuses on the technology sector. Mr. Leonard, Analyst, focuses on small-cap growth companies.
As businesses work at a faster pace to modernize their technology systems, we believe compelling investment opportunities are emerging. In our view, there are many potential winners competing for a fast-growing piece of technology spending. Digital transformation, or DX, refers to the modernization of legacy IT systems and shifts in business models to digital products and services. For example, making the move to cloud computing is a form of digital transformation.
U.S. businesses will spend an estimated $4 trillion on information technology in 2022, according to Gartner. Of that spending, IT services is expected to be the fastest-growing segment. And a significant portion of that services spend — 40% to 60% — is projected to be for DX. With projected long-term growth rates in the mid-teens or higher, DX is poised to remain the fastest-growing element of most enterprise IT budgets. The pandemic was a positive inflection point, accelerating the need for businesses to pivot to better technology. Many legacy systems were unable to support remote working at scale, and many customer interactions went through rapid digitization.
Collaborating to find potential winners
DX is a global theme that cuts across geographies, industries, and market caps. With such an immense universe of opportunities, collaboration is critical. Though we specialize in different areas — small caps, emerging markets, and technology — we work as a team and seek to identify alpha-generating ideas before they reach critical inflection points.
Digital transformation is poised to remain the fastest-growing element of most enterprise IT budgets.
Who are the DX players?
For most businesses, IT departments are focused on the maintenance of existing systems. They are not staffed for the challenge of transitioning to newer systems and services, such as cloud migration, applications development, or mobile technologies. Businesses seeking to transform their systems turn to DX companies, which provide consulting services, product design, and software implementation. DX companies typically operate as an outsourced service. They offer a roster of developers who can implement a modernization strategy for a fraction of what it would cost to hire full-time staff for this purpose. Many DX companies employ “off shore” engineers — so called because they operate in lower-cost geographies. These engineers can execute software implementation more efficiently and at a lower cost than doing it in the United States.
Companies with the potential to benefit from DX trends range from large-cap legacy players to small-cap DX specialists.
An array of possibilities
Companies with the potential to benefit from DX trends range from large-cap legacy players to small-cap DX specialists. Here are four DX companies we believe are worth watching.
Perficient (PRFT). This is a small-cap DX consulting firm primarily focused on U.S.-based Fortune 2000 enterprises. In 2016, the company shifted its strategy to focus more on digital corporate functions and to increase its headcount in Latin America. As a result, growth has accelerated since the onset of the pandemic. While its earnings and free cash flow margins are in line with its best-in-class peers, the stock currently trades at a discount to the group.
Accenture (ACN). Founded in 1989, this company is a large-cap legacy business in the IT services space. Like many legacy businesses, it began by offering both consulting and outsourcing, and therefore has a balanced mix of DX and traditional services. Accenture has consistently stayed ahead of the technology curve. In our view, it stands out among the legacy players because of its digital offerings and a consulting business that is highly valued by C-suite executives and boards around the world.
Tata Consultancy Services (TCS). This leader in the Indian IT service industry has a market cap of over $400 billion. Tata has consistently delivered world-class execution. In recent years, it has been entrusted with digital transformation projects of leading companies around the world, including Swiss Re, NXP Semiconductors, and Walgreens. In addition, Tata has maintained a strong culture that has translated to industry-leading employee retention rates.
Globant (GLOB). Founded and still managed by four friends in Argentina, this company currently has an $11 billion market cap and specializes in DX. Globant managed to double its revenue from 2017 to 2020, and we believe it could double its revenue again by 2023. Disney is a key customer, and Globant is engineering the digital transformation of its amusement parks worldwide.
While DX market growth forecasts are robust, we believe actual growth has the potential to be even higher than anticipated. Enterprises across many industries are emerging from the depths of the pandemic looking to accelerate investment in their digital transformation. And they are leveraging DX companies to help. We believe there is great investment potential in these capital-light businesses that support mission-critical functions.
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As of 12/31/21, the companies listed were held in the following Putnam strategies. Please note that position size varies by account, and the companies listed are not necessarily held by Putnam for all client portfolios.
Perficient: U.S. Small Cap Growth strategies
Accenture: U.S. Large Cap Growth strategies
Tata Consultancy Services: Emerging Markets Equity strategies; Non-U.S. Equity strategies
Globant: Emerging Market Equity strategies
This material is provided for limited purposes. For illustrative purposes only. The mention of these securities is intended to highlight potential opportunities in the Digital Transformation (DX) investment theme and should not be considered a recommendation or solicitation to purchase or sell the securities. Current investment themes and specific companies were selected without regard to whether such themes, or relevant securities, were profitable and are intended to help illustrate our investment process. It should not be assumed that any investment in these securities was, or will prove to be, profitable, or that the investment decisions we make in the future will be profitable or equal to the investment performance of securities referenced herein.
This material is a general communication being provided for informational and educational purposes only. It is not designed to be investment advice or a recommendation of any specific investment product, strategy, or decision, and is not intended to suggest taking or refraining from any course of action. The opinions expressed in this material represent the current, good-faith views of the author(s) at the time of publication. The views are provided for informational purposes only and are subject to change. This material does not take into account any investor's particular investment objectives, strategies, tax status, or investment horizon. Investors should consult a financial advisor for advice suited to their individual financial needs. Market commentary is not intended to be relied upon as a forecast, research, or investment advice, and is not a recommendation, offer, or solicitation to buy or sell any securities or to adopt any investment strategy. The inclusion of company information is not intended to be relied upon as a forecast, research, or investment advice, and is not a recommendation, offer, or solicitation to buy or sell any securities or to adopt any investment strategy.
