Here’s our Pick of the Month – June 2010

Article Excerpt

ZHONGPIN INC. $12.27 (Nasdaq symbol HOGS; SI Rating: Extra Risk) (086-10-8286-1788; www.zpfood.com; Shares outstanding: 34.7 million; Market cap: $426.1 million; No dividends paid) is a China-based company that processes meat and other foods. The company specializes in pork and pork products, as well as fruit and vegetables. It sells 358 meat products, including chilled pork, frozen pork and prepared meats, as well as 34 fruit and vegetable products. Zhongpin focuses on prepared meat products, with their higher profit margins, rather than bulk pork. The company has 12 processing plants, and sells its foods through over 3,200 retail stores. These outlets consist of 145 independently owned Zhongpin specialty boutiques, 1,012 Zhongpin retail stores and 2,048 exclusive supermarket counter locations. Aside from retail outlets, Zhongpin sells its foods to domestic and international fast-food chains, such as McDonald’s and KFC. Other customers include school cafeterias, factory canteens and army posts. In the three months ended March 31, 2010, revenue rose 32.8%, to $204.3 million from…