Tim’s expansion plans look promising

Article Excerpt

TIM HORTONS INC. $33 (Toronto symbol THI; Aggressive Growth Portfolio, Consumer sector; Shares outstanding: 176.2 million; Market cap: $5.8 billion; Price-to-sales ratio: 4.5; Dividend yield: 1.6%; SI Rating: Average) will open 900 new coffee-and-donut shops over the next three years: 600 in Canada and 300 in the U.S. Right now, it has 3,015 outlets in Canada and 563 in the U.S. Most of the new Canadian stores will be in Quebec, Ontario and western Canada. In the U.S., the company will target border states, such as New York, Ohio and Michigan. About 30% of its new U.S. locations will be near existing stores. Tim Hortons faces stronger competition in the U.S. than Canada, so this strategy gives these stores a better chance of success. The company has also developed other new initiatives to spur its long-term growth. For example, it will test 10 new upscale outlets with better furniture and fixtures. It will also make Cold Stone ice cream available in more…