Bargain buys for consumer growth

Article Excerpt

ZHONGPIN INC. $15.81 (Nasdaq symbol HOGS; TSINetwork Rating: Extra Risk) (086-10-8286-1788; www.zpfood.com; Shares outstanding: 40.4 million; Market cap: $638.0 million; No dividends paid) is a China-based company that processes meat and other foods. Zhongpin specializes in pork and pork products, as well as fruit and vegetables. It sells 390 meat products, including chilled pork, frozen pork and prepared meats, as well as 35 fruit and vegetable products. Zhongpin focuses on prepared meat, with its higher profit margins, rather than bulk pork. The company has 13 processing plants, and sells its foods through over 3,200 retail stores, including 157 independently owned Zhongpin specialty boutiques, 1,072 Zhongpin retail stores and 2,097 exclusive supermarket counter locations. It also sells its foods to 31 domestic and international fast-food chains, such as McDonald’s and KFC. Other customers include school cafeterias, factory canteens and army posts. In the three months ended March 31, 2011, Zhongpin’s revenue jumped 39.9%, to $285.8 million from $204.3 million a year earlier. Earnings…