Big restructuring off to a good start

Article Excerpt

PHILIPS ELECTRONICS N.V. ADRs $25 (New York symbol PHG; Conservative Growth Portfolio, Manufacturing & Industry sector; ADRs outstanding: 1.0 billion; Market cap: $25.0 billion; Priceto- sales ratio: 0.8; Dividend yield: 3.7%; TSINetwork Rating: Average; www.philips.com) continues to make progress with a major restructuring plan that includes cutting 4% of its workforce. This should save it 1.1 billion euros annually by 2015 (1 euro = $1.29 Canadian). It is also expanding its less-cyclical operations, such as medical equipment, and may sell its consumer electronics division. Mainly due to savings from its restructuring, Philips’ earnings rose 30.8% in the three months ended September 30, 2012, to 170 million euros, or 0.18 euros per ADR (each American Depositary Receipt equals one Philips common share). A year earlier, it earned 130 million euros, or 0.14 euros per ADR. Sales rose 13.6%, to 6.1 billion euros from 5.4 billion euros. Philips is still a hold. hold…