Yum targets India

Article Excerpt

YUM! BRANDS INC. $41 (New York symbol YUM; Aggressive Growth Portfolio, Consumer sector; Shares outstanding: 467.4 million; Market cap: $19.2 billion; Price-to-sales ratio: 1.8; Dividend yield: 2.1%; WSSF Rating: Average) was the first western fast-food company to enter China (in 1987), and is now the largest, with 3,000 restaurants in 650 Chinese cities. China now accounts for a third of Yum’s earnings, even though Chinese outlets are a fraction of the 37,000 restaurants that Yum now operates in more than 110 countries. The company hopes to repeat this success in India, where it has 160 Pizza Hut and 70 KFC outlets. It wants to expand the total to 1,000 by 2015. India’s middle class is growing, and rising disposable income means more people can afford fast food. In addition to Pizza Hut and KFC, Yum has three more banners — Taco Bell (Mexican food), A&W (hamburgers) and Long John Silver (seafood). By grouping its outlets, the company can accommodate varied tastes within a large…