Topic: How To Invest

Hi Pat: I'd really appreciate your view on two U.S. food stocks: Panera Bread and Buffalo Wild Wings. Thank you.

Article Excerpt

Panera Bread Co., $161.71, symbol PNRA on Nasdaq (Shares outstanding: 28.3 million; Market cap: $4.6 billion; www.panerabread.com), operates 1,591 bakery-cafes in 41 U.S. states and Canada. Of that total, 776 are company owned and 815 are franchised. Panera aims to open a further 65 to 70 new bakery-cafes this year. The company’s outlets operate under the Panera Bread, Saint Louis Bread Co. and Paradise Bakery & Café banners. They mainly offer freshly made sandwiches, baked goods, soup, salads, coffees and beverages. Panera’s cafes are mainly located in malls, and target people who live and work in suburban areas. The company also operates a catering service that delivers sandwiches and other foods to parties and other functions. In the three months ended June 26, 2012, Panera’s revenue rose 17.6%, to $530.6 million from $451.1 million a year earlier. Overall same-store sales rose 5.9%; same-store sales at company-owned outlets rose 7.1%, while franchised locations increased 4.8%. These gains were mainly the result of price increases…