You benefit from ABB’s tighter focus

Article Excerpt

ABB LTD. ADRs $30 is a buy. The company (New York symbol ABB; Conservative Growth Portfolio, Manufacturing & Industry sector; ADRs outstanding: 2.1 billion; Market cap: $63.0 billion; Price-to-sales ratio: 2.3; Dividend yield: 2.8%; TSINetwork Rating: Above Average; www.abb.com) is a leading manufacturer of transformers, transmission systems and circuit breakers for electrical utilities. It also makes automation systems and robotics for industrial clients. In the fourth quarter of 2020, ABB’s overall revenue improved 1.6%, to $7.18 billion from $7.07 billion a year earlier. Favourable foreign exchange rates boosted revenue by 3%, which offset a 1% decline due to the sale of less-important operations. Those asset sales also cut earnings by 3.7%, to $0.26 per ADR from $0.27. The company now plans to sell three smaller businesses. That would give it more cash for share buybacks and dividends. ABB could also spur its value by spinning off these businesses as a special dividend. ABB is a buy. buy…