Leaner Procter ready to compete

Article Excerpt

Procter & Gamble’s sales have slowed in recent years, mainly due to competition from cheaper generic brands. In response, the company is eliminating less profitable household goods and cutting costs. It’s also doing a good job of developing new products and finding new markets for existing ones. These moves will give Procter more room to adjust its prices without hurting its profit margins. They’ll also provide more cash for share buybacks and dividend hikes. PROCTER & GAMBLE CO. $84 (New York symbol PG; Conservative Growth Portfolio, Consumer sector; Shares outstanding: 2.7 billion; Market cap: $226.8 billion; Price-to-sales ratio: 2.9; Dividend yield: 3.1%; TSINetwork Rating: Above Average; www.pg.com) began operating in 1837 and is now one of the world’s largest makers of household and personal care products. The company has five main business lines: fabric and home care products, such as Tide laundry detergent and Duracell batteries (32% of fiscal 2014 sales, 26% of earnings); baby and family care goods, including…