Topic: How To Invest

Hi Pat: If you like Yum! Brands, what do you think about Priszm Income Fund on the TSX, the Canadian franchisee? The stock is trading as if it might go broke. Thanks.

Article Excerpt

Priszm Income Fund, $1.25, Toronto symbol QSR.UN (Units outstanding: 15.3 million; Market cap: $19.1 million), owns 60% of Priszm Limited Partnership, which owns 444 fast-food restaurants in seven of Canada’s ten provinces. These operate under the KFC (fried chicken), Taco Bell (Mexican food) and Pizza Hut banners. Priszm licenses these trademarks from U.S.-based Yum! Brands, $35.91, symbol YUM on New York (Shares outstanding: 467.7 million; Market cap: $16.8 billion), which is a long-time recommendation of our Wall Street Stock Forecaster newsletter. Priszm is the largest KFC franchise operator in Canada. The KFC brand accounts for over 90% of its sales. Priszm first sold units to the public for $10.00 each, and began trading on November 10, 2003. The Canadian restaurant industry is intensely competitive. That’s particularly true of the fast-food segment. Priszm’s strategy is to use new menu items to increase sales and encourage repeat visits to its restaurants. For example, KFC recently launched a new boneless, all-white-meat chicken fillet and…