Two restaurant leaders for Consumer gains

Article Excerpt

During the pandemic, both Domino’s Pizza and Texas Roadhouse implemented savvy strategies to support their businesses. Now, going forward, we think each is well-positioned to capitalize on its popular offerings to keep attracting customers. Each stock also remains a buy. DOMINO’S PIZZA, $461.67, (New York symbol DPZ; TSINetwork Rating: Average) (www.dominos.com; Shares o/s: 34.3 million; Market cap: $15.8 billion; Yield: 1.5%), gives you exposure to the world’s largest chain of pizza stores offering takeout and delivery. The company (symbol DPZ on New York) operates 21,366 outlets, in the U.S. and 85 other countries. Franchisees run most of these stores. In the three months ended December 29, 2024, the company’s sales rose 2.9%, to $1.44 billion from $1.40 billion a year earlier. Same-store sales rose just 0.4% in the U.S., while they rose 2.7% internationally. The pizza chain added 775 more restaurants in 2024, about half of which were opened in the fourth quarter. Excluding one-time items, earnings per share rose 9.2%, to $4.89 from $4.58. All…