Popular brands will lure shoppers back

Article Excerpt

Consumer confidence is rising in the U.S., but the recovery remains fragile. To cut your risk, we look for consumer companies with well-known brands, like these three clothing retailers. Their strong brands should help them keep increasing sales, both in the U.S. and overseas. But only two are buys right now. LIMITED BRANDS INC. $24 (New York symbol LTD; Aggressive Growth Portfolio, Consumer sector; Shares outstanding: 323.4 million; Market cap: $7.8 billion; Price-to-sales ratio: 0.9; Dividend yield: 2.5%; WSSF Rating: Average) operates two main retail chains: Victoria’s Secret (lingerie) and Bath & Body Works (soaps and bath oils). It also operates the La Senza lingerie chain in Canada and 30 other countries. Limited has introduced new products that are lifting its sales and increasing customer visits. As well, its Victoria’s Secret chain has introduced several low-priced items to attract cost-conscious shoppers. These moves pushed up Limited’s sales by 12.0% in the three months ended May 1, 2010, to $1.9 billion from $1.7…