price to sales ratio

Agrium continues to benefit from its focus on selling fertilizers and seeds to farmers through its retail chain. These stores help offset its more volatile fertilizer manufacturing business. That gives Agrium an advantage over pure fertilize companies like Potash Corp. (See next article in this issue) The company’s shares have jumped more than 80% in the past five years, but we feel they have more gains ahead, particularly as Agrium boosts its plants’ efficiency. The long-term need for more and better food will also keep spurring the stock. AGRIUM INC. $132 (Toronto symbol AGU; Aggressive Growth Portfolio, Resources sector; Shares outstanding: 144.0 million; Market cap: $19.0 billion; Price-to-sales ratio: 1.2; Dividend yield: 3.0%; TSINetwork Rating: Average; www.agrium.com) gets 75% of its sales and 60% of its earnings from its retail stores, which consist of 1,450 locations in North America, South America and Australia. These outlets sell seed, fertilizer and other products to farmers. (All amounts except share price and market cap in U.S. dollars.)...

POTASH CORP. OF SASKATCHEWAN $42 (Toronto symbol POT; Aggressive Growth Portfolio, Resources sector; Shares outstanding: 832.1 million; Market cap: $34.9 billion; Price-to-sales ratio: 5.3; Dividend yield: 4.5%; TSINetwork Rating: Average; www.potashcorp.com) has suffered two recent setbacks. (All amounts except share price and market cap in U.S. dollars.) First, the Saskatchewan government decided to change the timing of certain tax breaks for new potash mines and expansion projects. The province is also reviewing how it taxes potash producers. Potash Corp. expects the new rules to cut its pre-tax earnings by $75 million to $100 million (Canadian) in 2015. To put that in context, it earned $1.5 billion, or $1.82 a share, in 2014....

These three information providers face a challenge from free online news and other data. However, all three are well-established leaders, which helps them hang on to their clients. They’re also keeping their costs under control, which gives them more room to maintain or raise their dividends. THOMSON REUTERS CORP. $52 (Toronto symbol TRI; Conservative Growth Portfolio, Consumer sector; Shares outstanding: 791.8 million; Market cap: $41.2 billion; Price-to-sales ratio: 3.3; Dividend yield: 3.2%; TSINetwork Rating: Above Average; www.thomsonreuters.com) sells specialized information products in four main areas: financial (53% of 2014 revenue, 39% of earnings); legal (28%, 39%); tax (11%, 12%); and intellectual property and science (8%, 10%). (All amounts except share price and market cap in U.S. dollars.) The Americas supplied 60% of Thomson’s 2014 revenue, followed by Europe (30%) and Asia (10%)....

SUNCOR ENERGY INC. $39 (Toronto symbol SU; Conservative Growth Portfolio, Resources sector; Shares outstanding: 1.5 billion; Market cap: $58.5 billion; Price-to-sales ratio: 1.8; Dividend yield: 2.9%; TSINetwork Rating: Average; www.suncor.com) produced 598,000 barrels a day in the first quarter of 2015, up 9.7% from 545,300 barrels a year earlier. The increase came from both its oil sands and conventional properties. The oil-price drop has prompted Suncor to cut its planned 2015 capital spending by $1 billion, to between $6.2 billion and $6.8 billion. It also laid off 1,000 workers, or 7% of its workforce. The company expects its job cuts and other cost controls to save it $600 million to $800 million in 2015, a year earlier than planned; Suncor’s cash flow was $9.1 billion in 2014....

FORTIS INC. $39 (Toronto symbol FTS; Conservative Growth and Income Portfolios, Utilities sector; Shares outstanding: 276.3 million; Market cap: $10.8 billion; Price-to-sales ratio: 2.5; Dividend yield 3.5%; TSINetwork Rating: Above Average; www.fortis.ca) is the main electricity supplier in Newfoundland and P.E.I. It also distributes natural gas in B.C. and operates power plants in other parts of Canada, the U.S. and the Caribbean. Fortis plans to spend $9.0 billion to expand its operations over the next five years. That’s equal to 83% of its current market cap. Regulated utilities account for 93% of Fortis’s assets, so regulators will let it recover most of these outlays through rate increases. Fortis is also looking at selling or spinning off its properties division, which consists of commercial real estate and 23 hotels. The company expects to make a final decision by June 2015....

BLACKBERRY LTD. $12 (Toronto symbol BB; Aggressive Growth Portfolio, Manufacturing & Industry sector; Shares outstanding: 528.8 million; Market cap: $6.3 billion; Price-to-sales ratio: 1.9; No dividends paid; TSINetwork Rating: Speculative; www.blackberry.com) is best known for its BlackBerry smartphones. However, competition from Apple’s iPhone and Android-powered devices has cut the number of BlackBerry users worldwide to 37 million from 85 million in 2013. (All amounts except share price and market cap in U.S. dollars.) The company also earns fees on software it installs on its clients’ email servers. These programs let its businesses and government clients manage their employees’ phones and encrypt sensitive data. In response to its shrinking smartphone sales, BlackBerry has cut jobs and sold surplus real estate. If you exclude unusual items, the company lost $45 million, or $0.09 a share, in its 2015 fiscal year, which ended February 28, 2015. However, that’s a big improvement over its 2014 loss of $711 million, or $1.35 a share....

Low oil and natural gas prices continue to hurt cash flow at Cenovus and Encana (see box). In response, both have issued shares to fund new projects and cut debt. The extra shares diluted existing investors’ holdings. However, they strengthened both companies’ balance sheets and put them in a better position to profit when oil and gas prices recover. CENOVUS ENERGY INC. $22 (Toronto symbol CVE; Conservative Growth Portfolio, Resources sector; Shares outstanding: 824.5 million; Market cap: $18.1 billion; Price-to-sales ratio: 1.1; Dividend yield: 4.8%; TSINetwork Rating: Average) gets 35% of its revenue from its oil sands projects and conventional oil and gas wells in Western Canada....

ENCANA CORP. $15 (Toronto symbol ECA; Conservative Growth Portfolio, Resources sector; Shares outstanding: 839.6 million; Market cap: $12.6 billion; Price-to-sales ratio: 1.4; Dividend yield: 2.3%; TSINetwork Rating: Average; www.encana.com) recently sold 98.5 million shares for $14.60 (Canadian) each, increasing the number outstanding by 13%. (All amounts except share price and market cap in U.S. dollars.) As well, Encana has sold natural gas pipelines and compression facilities in B.C.’s Montney region for $461 million (Canadian). It will use the total proceeds of $1.9 billion (Canadian) to pay down its long-term debt of $7.3 billion (as of December 31, 2014), which is a high 73% of its market cap....

MOLSON COORS CANADA INC. (Toronto symbols TPX.A $94 and TPX.B $99; Conservative Growth and Income Portfolios, Consumer sector; Shares outstanding: 185.9 million; Market cap: $18.4 billion; Price-to-sales ratio: 3.5; Dividend yield: 2.1%; TSINetwork Rating: Average; www.molson coors.com) has paid an undisclosed sum for Mount Shivalik Breweries, which operates two breweries in India. As a result, Molson now has three breweries in that country. The company’s brewing expertise should make Shivalik more efficient. The move will also help it launch and distribute its own brands, including Coors Light, in India. The class B shares have less voting power to elect directors than the class A shares, but they are more liquid and receive the same dividend....

TRANSCANADA CORP. $55 (Toronto symbol TRP; Conservative Growth and Income Portfolios, Utilities sector; Shares outstanding: 708.9 million; Market cap: $39.0 billion; Price-to-sales ratio: 4.7; Dividend yield: 3.8%; TSINetwork Rating: Above Average; www.transcanada.com) has decided not to build an oil-export terminal at Cacouna, Quebec, due to concerns that it could endanger beluga whales in the St. Lawrence River. This terminal was one of two (the other is near Saint John, New Brunswick) that are part of TransCanada’s proposed Energy East pipeline project, which would pump crude oil from Alberta to refineries in Eastern Canada. TransCanada is now looking for an alternative site. That will delay Energy East for at least two years, to 2020, and add to its $12-billion cost. However, cancelling the Cacouna terminal makes it more likely that regulators will approve the project....