This Canadian icon offers steady growth

Article Excerpt

TIM HORTONS INC. $31 (Toronto symbol THI; Aggressive Growth Portfolio, Consumer sector; Shares outstanding: 180.7 million; Market cap: $5.6 billion; Price-to-sales ratio: 2.5; SI Rating: Average) is one of Canada’s largest fast-food restaurant chains. Its 2,971 outlets mainly serve coffee and donuts. It also has 556 stores in the U.S., mostly near the Canadian border. Franchisees own 99% of the company’s outlets. Tim Hortons was a wholly owned subsidiary of U.S.-based Wendy’s International Inc. (now part of Wendy’s/Arby’s Group Inc., New York symbol WEN) until March 2006. That’s when it completed an initial public offering of common shares at $27.00 each. In September 2006, Wendy’s handed out its remaining 82.75% stake to its own shareholders as a special dividend. Lower taxes lure Tim’s north Tim Hortons recently shifted its incorporation back to Canada from the U.S. This will help it take advantage of Canada’s lower corporate-tax rates. The shift will cost Tim Hortons $28 million, but lower taxes should more than offset this…