Los Angeles, CA-based j2 Global, Inc.’s JCOM second-quarter 2017 earnings (on an adjusted basis) of $1.25 per share (including stock-based compensation expenses) missed the Zacks Consensus Estimate by 6 cents. However, earnings increased 7.76% on a year-over-year basis on the back of higher revenues.Quarterly revenues came in at $273.2 million, up 28.98% year over year. However, the top line fell short of the Zacks Consensus Estimate marginally.The earnings and revenue miss disappointed investors. Consequently, the stock declined following the earnings release.Segment-wise, total Cloud Service revenues inched up 1.4% year over year to $143.4 million in the reported quarter. Digital Media revenues came in at $128.5 million, up 85.4%. IP Licensing revenues were up 18.2% to $1.3 million in the second quarter of 2017.j2 Global’s operating expenses were $171.5 million in the quarter under review, up 46.2% from the same period, last year. Quarterly adjusted EBITDA (earnings before interest and other expenses) rose 13.0% year over year to $110.2 million.j2 Global exited the second quarter of 2017 with approximately $330.7 million in cash and cash equivalents compared with $123.9 million at the end of 2016. Long-term debt at the end of second-quarter 2017 was $996.4 million compared with $601.7 million at the previous year-end. Free cash flow at the end of the reported quarter climbed 12.0% year over year to $71.1 million. j2 Global, Inc. Price, Consensus and EPS Surprise j2 Global, Inc. Price, Consensus and EPS Surprise | j2 Global, Inc. QuoteOutlookThe company expects earnings per share (on an adjusted basis) in the band of $5.60-$6.00 for full-year 2017, unchanged from its preceding guidance. The prediction for revenues has also been reiterated in the range of $1.13-$1.17 billion. The Zacks Consensus Estimate currently calls for earnings per share of $5.57 on revenues of $1.14 billion for full-year 2017.The company expects non-GAAP effective tax rate for 2017 (exclusive of the release of reserves for uncertain tax positions) to be in the range 28.5-30.5%.Dividend HikedIn a shareholder-friendly move, j2 Global’s board of directors has approved of a 2.7% increase in its quarterly dividend. The company will now make a payment of 38.5 cents per share, marking the 24th successive quarterly dividend hike. This payout will be made on Sep 1 to shareholders of record as on Aug 14.Zacks Rank & Key Picksj2 Global currently carries a Zacks Rank #3 (Hold). Some other stocks worth considering in the broader Computer and Technology sector are Twilio Inc. TWLO, Chegg, Inc. CHGG and Destiny Media Technologies Inc. DSNY. While Twilio flaunts a Zacks Rank #1 (Strong Buy), Chegg and Destiny Media carry a Zacks Rank #2 (Buy). You can see the complete list of today’s Zacks #1 Rank stocks here.Shares of Twilio, Chegg and Destiny Media have gained over 1%, 100% and 39% respectively, on a year-to-date basis.5 Trades Could Profit "Big-League" from Trump PoliciesIf the stocks above spark your interest, wait until you look into companies primed to make substantial gains from Washington's changing course.Today Zacks reveals 5 tickers that could benefit from new trends like streamlined drug approvals, tariffs, lower taxes, higher interest rates, and spending surges in defense and infrastructure. See these buy recommendations now >>Want the latest recommendations from Zacks Investment Research? Today, you can download 7 Best Stocks for the Next 30 Days. Click to get this free report j2 Global, Inc. (JCOM): Free Stock Analysis Report Chegg, Inc. (CHGG): Free Stock Analysis Report Twilio Inc. (TWLO): Free Stock Analysis Report Destiny Media Technologies Inc. (DSNY): Free Stock Analysis Report To read this article on Zacks.com click here. Zacks Investment Research