4-Star Stocks Poised to Pop: Panera Bread

Updated

Based on the aggregated intelligence of 180,000-plus investors participating in Motley Fool CAPS, the Fool's free investing community, bakery-cafe operator Panera Bread Company (NAS: PNRA) has earned a respected four-star ranking.

With that in mind, let's take a closer look at Panera's business and see what CAPS investors are saying about the stock right now.

Panera facts

Headquarters (founded)

St. Louis (1981)

Market Cap

$4.7 billion

Industry

Restaurants

Trailing-12-Month Revenue

$2.0 billion

Management

Co-Founder/Chairman/Co-CEO Ronald Shaich
Co-CEO William Moreton

Return on Equity (average, past 3 years)

19.7%

Cash/Debt

$255.8 million / $0

Competitors

Chipotle Mexican Grill
Einstein Noah Restaurant Group
Starbucks


Sources: S&P Capital IQ and Motley Fool CAPS.

On CAPS, 90% of the 1,471 members who have rated Panera believe the stock will outperform the S&P 500 going forward.

Just yesterday, one of those bulls, NHWeston, tapped Panera as a particularly tasty growth opportunity:

Soup and sandwich -- how can you miss with variations of the basic lunch menu? They're growing at a measured, [judicious] pace, expanding their bakery line (not getting exotic), and the customers do the policing (you and your laptop don't get to spend all morning on a cup of coffee -- patrons will "pull-yer-plug"). Good prospects.

If you want market-beating returns, you need to put together the best portfolio you can. Owning exceptional stocks is a surefire way to secure your financial future. Of course, despite a strong four-star rating, Panera may not be your top choice.

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The article 4-Star Stocks Poised to Pop: Panera Bread originally appeared on Fool.com.

Fool contributor Brian Pacampara owns no position in any of the companies mentioned. The Motley Fool owns shares of Panera, Chipotle, and Starbucks. Motley Fool newsletter services have recommended buying shares of Panera, Chipotle, and Starbucks, as well as writing covered calls on Starbucks. Try any of our Foolish newsletter services free for 30 days.We Fools may not all hold the same opinions, but we all believe that considering a diverse range of insights makes us better investors. The Fool's disclosure policy always gets a perfect score.

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