Both should benefit from this deal

Article Excerpt

PROCTER & GAMBLE CO. $62 (New York symbol PG; Conservative Growth Portfolio, Consumer sector; Shares outstanding: 2.9 billion; Market cap: $179.8 billion; Price-to-sales ratio: 2.5; Dividend yield: 2.8%; WSSF Rating: Above Average) is buying the Ambi Pur air freshener business from SARA LEE INC. $12 (New York symbol SLE; Conservative Growth Portfolio, Consumer sector; Shares outstanding: 697.3 million; Market cap: $8.4 billion; Price-to-sales ratio: 0.7; Dividend yield: 3.7%; WSSF Rating: Above Average). Procter will pay $470 million when the deal closes in the first half of 2010. Europe accounts for most of Ambi Pur’s sales, so buying it complements Procter’s Febreeze air fresheners, which it mainly sells in North America. Sara Lee will use the cash to buy back shares and invest in its main food businesses. Both Procter & Gamble and Sara Lee are buys. buys…