Topic: How To Invest

Hello Pat: I’m wondering if you would view Zhongpin Inc. as an investment opportunity in China.

Article Excerpt

Zhongpin Inc., $12.06, symbol HOGS on Nasdaq (Shares outstanding: 34.7 million; Market cap: $418.6 million), processes meat and other foods. The China-based company specializes in pork and pork products, as well as fruit and vegetables. Zhongpin sells 358 meat products, including chilled pork, frozen pork and prepared meats, and over 34 fruit and vegetable products. Zhongpin focuses on prepared meat products with their higher profit margins, rather than bulk pork. Zhongpin’s Chinese distribution network covers 20 provinces, plus the cities of Beijing, Shanghai, Tianjin, and Chongqing. The company operates 12 processing plants, located in Henan, Hebei, Jilin and Sichuan provinces. In 2009, Zhongpin’s revenue jumped 34.5%, to $726 million from $539.8 million in 2008 (all figures in U.S. dollars). To put its recent growth in perspective, Zhongpin’s revenue was just $73.4 million in 2005. The company’s earnings rose 45.3% in 2009, to $45.6 million or $1.48 a share. In 2008, it earned $31.4 million, or $1.06 a share. In the three…