Still a top buy for value

Article Excerpt

MAPLE LEAF FOODS INC. $9.17 (Toronto symbol MFI; Conservative Growth Portfolio, Consumer sector; Shares outstanding: 129.3 million; Market cap: $1.2 billion; Price-to-sales ratio: 0.2; SI Rating: Average) produces fresh and prepared beef and poultry under the Maple Leaf and Schneider brands. It also owns 89.8% of CANADA BREAD CO. LTD. $41 (Toronto symbol CBY; Conservative Growth Portfolio, Consumer sector; Shares outstanding: 25.4 million; Market cap: $1.0 billion; Price-to-sales ratio: 0.6; SI Rating: Above Average), which is Canada’s second-largest producer of baked goods after Weston Bakery. At current prices, Maple Leaf’s stake in Canada Bread is worth roughly $7.25 per Maple Leaf share. That means you can buy Maple Leaf’s meat-processing operations, which account for 65% of its revenue, for just $1.90 a share. The reason the meat business has such a low value is due to last year’s listeriosis outbreak, which forced Maple Leaf to spend millions to recall contaminated products and settle class-action lawsuits. However, sales are returning to pre-outbreak levels. Maple Leaf…