Health care uncertainty weighs on Philips

Article Excerpt

PHILIPS ELECTRONICS N.V. ADRs $25 (New York symbol PHG; Conservative Growth Portfolio, Manufacturing & Industry sector; ADRs outstanding: 926.7 million; Market cap: $23.2 billion; Price-to-sales ratio: 0.7; WSSF Rating: Average) gets roughly 50% of its revenue by making consumer electronics, such as TV sets, DVD players and kitchen appliances. Netherlands-based Philips also makes lighting equipment (25% of revenue) and medical equipment (25%). Each American Depositary Receipt represents one Philips common share. The weak economy continues to hurt consumer-electronics demand. As well, slow automotive and construction markets have dampened sales at Philips’s lighting division. Moreover, hospitals and clinics are putting off orders for CAT and MRI scanners because of uncertainty over U.S. health-care reforms. In response, Philips aims to lower its annual expenses by 600 million euros (1 euro = $1.47 U.S.). It will mainly accomplish this by cutting 6,000 jobs, or 5% of its workforce. So far, the company has saved 118 million euros. It expects to save as much as 159…