Strong brands are a plus in emerging markets

Article Excerpt

Toyota and Honda have moved down since the start of 2017, partly due to fears that the U.S. will impose new tariffs on foreign automakers. However, their well-known brands should continue to spur sales in developing nations. TOYOTA MOTOR CO. ADRs $107 (New York symbol TM; Conservative Growth Portfolio, Manufacturing & In dustry sector; ADRs outstanding: 1.5 billion; Market cap: $160.5 billion; Price-to-sales ratio: 0.6; Dividend yield: 3.5%; TSINetwork Rating: Above Average; www.toyota. com) is the world’s second-largest carmaker after Volkswagen Group. In the year ended March 31, 2017, Toyota sold 8.97 million vehicles. That’s up 3.3% from a year earlier. Specifically, sales rose 10.4% in Japan, 18.1% in other parts of Asia, and 9.6% in Europe. The gains offset declines in North America (down 0.1%) and other regions such as South America, Australia, Africa and the Middle East (down 15.5%). Overall revenue in fiscal 2017 rose 7.9%, to $255.5 billion from $236.7 billion. Earnings per ADR fell 9.6%, to $11.10 from $12.28…