MOLSON COORS BREWING CO. $57 - New York symbol TAP

MOLSON COORS BREWING CO. $57 (New York symbol TAP; Aggressive Growth Portfolio, Consumer sector; Shares outstanding: 184.2 million; Market cap: $10.5 billion; Price-to-sales ratio: 2.5; Dividend yield: 2.6%; TSINetwork Rating: Average; www.molson coors.com) continues to make progress integrating StarBev LP, which it bought for $3.4 billion in June 2012. StarBev owns nine breweries in central and eastern Europe.

In 2013, Molson Coors’ earnings rose 2.3%, to $727.1 million from $710.5 million in 2012. Due to more shares outstanding, earnings per share gained 1.0%, to $3.95 from $3.91. Sales rose 7.4%, to $4.2 billion from $3.9 billion.

Molson Coors is doing a good job absorbing StarBev, and cutting costs at its existing businesses. In 2013, it lowered its expenses by $113 million.

Thanks to its improving outlook, the company has also increased its dividend by 15.6%. The new annual rate of $1.48 a share yields 2.6%.

Molson Coors is a buy.

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