Japanese automakers: only one buy

Article Excerpt

Toyota and Honda made deep cost cuts during the recession. That should help them increase their long-term profitability. However, we prefer Honda for new buying. That’s because Toyota is relying on customer incentives to spur car sales in the wake of several safety recalls. These extra expenses will offset the benefits of its other cost cuts for the next year or so. TOYOTA MOTOR CO. ADRs $70 (New York symbol TM; Conservative Growth Portfolio, Manufacturing & Industry sector; ADRs outstanding: 1.6 billion; Market cap: $112.0 billion; Price-to-sales ratio: 0.5; Dividend yield: 1.6%; WSSF Rating: Above Average) is Japan’s largest carmaker. The stock has moved down from its recent high of $92 in January 2010. That’s because of bad publicity over recalls to fix sticky gas pedals and other problems. However, these defects only affected a small number of vehicles, and Toyota’s quick response helped limit any permanent damage to its brand. In its 2010 fiscal year, which ended March 31, 2010, Toyota sold…