Yum sees higher earnings in 2010

Article Excerpt

YUM! BRANDS INC. $35 (Aggressive Growth Portfolio, Consumer sector; Shares outstanding: 467.7 million; Market cap: $16.4 billion; Price-to-sales ratio: 1.6; Dividend yield: 2.4%; WSSF Rating: Average) announced that its 2009 earnings per share should rise by 12%. That’s because strong growth at its fast-food outlets in China and other countries is offsetting slow sales in the U.S. Lower food costs and income taxes are also contributing to the higher earnings. The company should earn $2.20 a share in 2009. The stock trades at 15.9 times that estimate. Yum feels its earnings will rise 10% in 2010, to $2.42 a share. That gives it a p/e ratio of 14.5, which is reasonable in light of Yum’s growing Asian operations. Yum Brands is a buy. buy…