Page 10 - Bloomberg Businessweek - November 19, 2018

Bloomberg Businessweek The Year Ahead 2019 50 Companies to Watch

35 NXP Semiconductors NV ▼ NXPI US

Est. sales Est. EPS Total 12-month 1-year total Female board
growth growth assets sales return membership
Chips 4% 13.7% $23b $9b -35.8% 16.7%

After a year of drama, including the failed Qualcomm share buyback could boost earnings. Autos and
Inc. deal, NXP is eager to reignite growth. industrials, underpenetrated markets with a need for
Underperformance may be short-lived—a $5 billion chips, present an opportunity.
36 Osram Licht AG ▼ OSR GR

Est. sales Est. EPS Total 12-month 1-year total Female board
Lighting growth -5.6% assets sales return membership
growth
2.4%
-46.2%
41.7%
$5b
$5b
Leaving behind a shaky 2018, when its stock had fallen autos, entertainment, and the health-care sector. These
50 percent by the end of June, the company is expected businesses are promising, delivering $2.3 billion in sales in
to rebound in early 2019. Once the world’s No. 2 seller of fiscal 2017. It announced in August that it’s shedding the
lightbulbs, Osram is now focused on specialty lighting for loss-making Lighting Solutions and Systems unit.
37 Petrobras ▲ PETR4 BZ

Est. sales Est. EPS Total 12-month 1-year total Female board
assets
growth
growth
sales
membership
return
Energy -1.5% 86.9% $220b $92.7b 45.4% 30%
Brazil’s national oil company has undergone a major
92 transformation, from the most indebted oil company
in the world to a growing, profitable one, over the past
18 months. The election of Jair Bolsonaro as president
could set it back. He’s pledged greater independence
for Petrobras and divestment from other government
enterprises but as recently as May supported fuel price
controls, which have been crippling in the past. The
market approves of him so far, though it remains to be
seen if he’ll keep his hands off Petrobras.
◀ Bolsonaro

38 Prudential Plc ▼ PRU LN

Financials Est. sales -5.1% Total 12-month 1-year total Female board
Est. EPS
sales
growth
assets
return
membership
growth
$72.4b
$661b
12.5%
28%
-16.3%
Prudential is composed of three separately regulated there will be even less of a rationale for this once the
and managed businesses in the U.K., the U.S., and U.K. business breaks free. The closer the uncoupling
Asia. It announced in March that it would spin off its comes, the more investors are likely to value the U.S.
U.K. business by 2020, signaling the breakup of the and Asian operations separately.
company. Group management is based in London, and
39 Pyxus International Inc. ▲ PYX US
Est. sales Est. EPS Total 12-month 1-year total Female board
Tobacco growth N/M assets sales return membership FROM LEFT: MAURO PIMENTEL/AFP/GETTY IMAGES (1); BLOOMBERG (2)
growth
N/M
$2b
12.5%
$2b
121.9%
The world’s second-largest independent tobacco leaf these businesses while expanding into such areas as
dealer has been busy buying stakes in companies liquids for vaping and Canadian cannabis.
and forming joint ventures in emerging markets. The
strategy is to sprinkle its expertise in agronomy over