Updating Broadridge Financial Solutions Inc., Keysight Technologies Inc., and Yum Brands Inc.

Article Excerpt

BROADRIDGE FINANCIAL SOLUTIONS INC. $107 (www.broadridge.com) serves the investment industry in three main areas: investor communications, securities processing and transaction clearing. The stock has jumped 60% in the past year, partly due to increased mutual fund proxy activity and equity proxy contests. They have pushed up demand for the company’s services. The stock now trades at 26.4 times Broadridge’s forecast fiscal 2018 earnings of $4.06 a share. That’s reasonable considering the company’s strong growth prospects. Best Buy. KEYSIGHT TECHNOLOGIES INC. $54 (www.keysight.com) makes devices for testing electronic equipment. In April 2017, the company paid $1.6 billion for California-based Ixia. That firm makes software to test wireless and computer networks. Thanks to those new operations, Keysight’s revenue for its fiscal 2018 fourth quarter, ended January 31, 2018, rose 15.3%, to $837 million from $726 million a year earlier. However, earnings in the quarter fell 1.0%, to $135 million from $110 million. Keysight sold shares to help pay for the Ixia acquisition. However, as the result of more shares…