DURHAM, N.H. - The University of New Hampshire Rosenberg Franchise 50 Index, which tracks publicly traded companies in the United States engaged in business format franchising, closed the year on a strong note. After a 1 percent loss in the third quarter the index rose 4.7 percent in the fourth quarter of 2014.

Gains were widespread among the 50 components of the index, with 41 franchise companies making gains and nine incurring market value losses. Overall, 26 of the gainers made double digit gains.
Denny's was the best performer in the fourth quarter of 2014, jumping 46.3 percent in market value. "Their accelerating same-store sales growth, increasing profits and more sanguine business outlook made it a favorite among investors this quarter," said Hachemi Aliouche, co-director of the Rosenberg International Franchise Center at the UNH Peter T. Paul College of Business and Economics.

Weight Watchers International tumbled 9.5 percent during the same quarter, making it the worst performer of the index. Aliouche noted that the company has been struggling to keep its subscribers and preserve its revenues. Amid competition from new weight-loss apps and services its active subscriber base shrunk by 12.5 percent this quarter while sales have declined for seven quarters.  

The RCF50 Index slightly outperformed the S&P 500 Index in the fourth quarter of 2014. For all of 2014 the index gained 12.4 percent while the S&P 500 Index went up 11.4 percent. Since its inception in 2000, the RCF50 is up 220.3 percent while the S&P 500 is up 47.6 percent over the same period. 

For more information on the center or the index: http://paulcollege.unh.edu/research/about-center.

The UNH Peter T. Paul College of Business and Economics offers a full complement of high-quality programs in business, economics, accounting, finance, information systems management, entrepreneurship, marketing, and hospitality management. Programs are offered at the undergraduate, graduate, and executive development levels. The college is accredited by the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business, the premier accrediting agency for business schools worldwide. For more information, visit paulcollege.unh.edu.

The University of New Hampshire, founded in 1866, is a world-class public research university with the feel of a New England liberal arts college. A land, sea, and space-grant university, UNH is the state's flagship public institution, enrolling 12,300 undergraduate and 2,200 graduate students.
Image to be downloaded:
/unhtoday/news/releases/2014/08/images/aliouche-5229.jpg
Caption: Hachemi Aliouche, co-director of the Rosenberg International Franchise Center at the UNH Peter T. Paul College of Business and Economics