Rosetta Stone Inc (RST): Here’s Why You Should Be Bullish

Source: Screenshot from author’s Rosetta Stone Inc (NYSE:RST) program.

I’ve had a long, complicated relationship with language-learning company Rosetta Stone Inc (NYSE:RST). The very first article I wrote for the Fool three years ago was on how the company, and its stock, was maturing into a winner.

Over time, and many failed moves by management, my outlook soured. In October 2011, after CEO Tom Adams stepped down without any successor in mind, I sold my shares.

And yet, now I’m considering adding the stock to my Roth IRA for May. I’ve been calling out one company per month for almost two years now, and the portfolio has returned 21%, beating the S&P 500 by almost 5 percentage points!

Here are the three big reasons I’m considering Rosetta Stone Inc (NYSE:RST) for this month’s pick.

1. Finally, a management team that knows what it’s doing
During my first go-around covering the company, it became increasingly obvious that former CEO Tom Adams didn’t understand his product and how to make it useful to consumers, schools, or businesses. It seemed like those working under him were far more equipped to run the company.

In fact, while taking notes during a conference call, I once noted:

I’m a big fan of Steve Swad, the CFO who joined the team within the last year. He’s a straight shooter and really knows what he’s talking about. … twice now during the [conference call], CEO Tom Adams has begun to answer a question and Swad cut him off and gave an answer instead. … he showed he really had a handle on what was going on.

It was a good sign, then, that later in 2011, the company named Swad as its CEO. Since then, he has been much more open about the company’s strategy. That open stance included a visit to Fool headquarters in February as well — and I was very impressed with what I saw.

2. A strategy in place
For years, Rosetta Stone Inc (NYSE:RST) had survived based on a hodgepodge of strategies that included extremely low-margin kiosks in malls and airports, combined with sales teams that tried to push the product to schools, governments, and businesses.

That has begun changing, en masse. The company has three clearly defined pillars on which it now stands: learning, technology, and changing lives. And in service of those three pillars, Swad has identified three strategic priorities:

Improving the Rosetta Stone Inc (NYSE:RST) brand.

Allowing for multiple platforms — especially mobile.

Improving distribution.