Tims poised for growth

Article Excerpt

TIM HORTONS $34.84 (Toronto symbol THI; SI Rating: Average) (905-845-6511; www.timhortons.com; Shares outstanding: 175.0 million; Market cap: $6.1 billion; Dividend yield: 1.5%) reported that its sales rose 4.8% in the three months ended April 4, 2010, to $582.6 million from $555.7 million a year earlier. The company opened 18 new coffee-and-donut stores during the quarter: 14 in Canada and four in the U.S. On a same-store basis, sales rose 5.2% in Canada and 3.0% in the U.S. Earnings per share rose 21.6% in the latest quarter, to $0.45 from $0.37. The contribution from the company’s alliance with Cold Stone Creamery continues to boost its results, especially in the U.S. Cold Stone is a U.S.-based operator of upscale ice-cream parlours. Tim Hortons now sells Cold Stone’s ice cream in 66 of its U.S. outlets and 18 of its Canadian stores. Tim Hortons’ expansion plans give it considerable growth prospects. It plans to open 900 stores in North America over the next three years, with about…