Cost-cutting bolsters their dividends

Article Excerpt

These two leading food producers are currently restructuring their operations. Severance payments and other costs will hurt their short-term profits, but the long-term savings will give them more room for future dividend hikes. SAPUTO INC. $47 (Toronto symbol SAP; High-Growth Dividend Portfolio, Consumer sector; Shares o/s: 391.4 million; Mkt. cap: $18.4 billion; Price-to-sales ratio: 1.7; Dividend Sustainability Rating: Above Average; Dividend yield: 1.3%; www.saputo.com) is Canada’s largest producer of dairy products, including milk, butter and cheese. It also operates dairies in the U.S., Australia and Argentina. The company last raised its quarterly dividend with the September 2016 payment. Investors now receive $0.15 a share, with an annual rate of $0.60. That yields 1.3%. Market prices for dairy ingredients have declined since 2015 and are expected to stay low through 2017. As a result, the company’s outlook for 2017 remains cautious. To further improve its earnings, Saputo must focus on controlling costs. It plans to close its dairy plants in Ottawa, Princeville, Quebec, and…