price to sales ratio
CANADA BREAD CO. LTD. $46 (Toronto symbol CBY; Conservative Growth Portfolio, Consumer sector; Shares outstanding: 25.4 million; Market cap: $1.2 billion; Price-to-sales ratio: 0.7; Dividend yield: 4.3%; TSINetwork Rating: Above Average; www.canadabread.ca) is Canada’s second-largest producer of baked goods, after Weston Bakery. It supplies around a third of Maple Leaf’s (see left) sales.
A big part of Maple Leaf’s restructuring is Canada Bread’s new $100-million facility in Hamilton, Ontario. This plant, which opened in September 2011, is Canada’s largest fresh bakery.
The new plant let Canada Bread close two outdated Toronto facilities in the latest quarter. The company plans to close a third Toronto-area bakery in early 2013.
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A big part of Maple Leaf’s restructuring is Canada Bread’s new $100-million facility in Hamilton, Ontario. This plant, which opened in September 2011, is Canada’s largest fresh bakery.
The new plant let Canada Bread close two outdated Toronto facilities in the latest quarter. The company plans to close a third Toronto-area bakery in early 2013.
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MAPLE LEAF FOODS INC. $11 (Toronto symbol MFI; Conservative Growth Portfolio, Consumer sector; Shares outstanding: 139.5 million; Market cap: $1.5 billion; Price-to-sales ratio: 0.3; Dividend yield: 1.5%; TSINetwork Rating: Average; www.mapleleaf.ca) is Canada’s largest foodprocessing company. It mainly makes its products, which include fresh and prepared meats and poultry, under the Maple Leaf and Schneider brands. Through 90.0%-owned Canada Bread (see right), the company also makes fresh and frozen bread, pastries and pasta.
Maple Leaf continues to restructure its operations, including simplifying its product lines and increasing its focus on its most profitable foods. The company is also installing a new computer system that will give its managers more timely information and help them make better decisions.
These measures should raise Maple Leaf’s gross margin (gross profits as a percentage of sales) from 7.7% in the past 12 months, to 12.5% in 2015.
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Maple Leaf continues to restructure its operations, including simplifying its product lines and increasing its focus on its most profitable foods. The company is also installing a new computer system that will give its managers more timely information and help them make better decisions.
These measures should raise Maple Leaf’s gross margin (gross profits as a percentage of sales) from 7.7% in the past 12 months, to 12.5% in 2015.
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PRECISION DRILLING CORP. $6.85 (Toronto symbol PD; Aggressive Growth Portfolio, Resource sector; Shares outstanding: 276.3 million; Market cap: $1.9 billion; Price-to-sales ratio: 0.9; No dividends paid since February 2009; TSINetwork Rating: Extra Risk; www.precisiondrilling.com) provides contract-drilling services to land-based oil and gas producers in Canada, the U.S. and Mexico. It had 344 rigs in service as of March 31, 2012.
The stock is down 45.6% from its recent peak of $12.60 in March 2012. That’s due to fears that falling oil and natural gas prices will hurt demand for Precision’s rigs. However, the company operates under long-term contracts that help shield it from volatile oil and gas prices. It has 122 rigs under contract in 2012 and 79 in 2013.
Precision can also conserve cash by putting off building new rigs if demand weakens. That’s why it recently cut its 2012 capital expenditures to $975 million from its earlier forecast of $1.1 billion.
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The stock is down 45.6% from its recent peak of $12.60 in March 2012. That’s due to fears that falling oil and natural gas prices will hurt demand for Precision’s rigs. However, the company operates under long-term contracts that help shield it from volatile oil and gas prices. It has 122 rigs under contract in 2012 and 79 in 2013.
Precision can also conserve cash by putting off building new rigs if demand weakens. That’s why it recently cut its 2012 capital expenditures to $975 million from its earlier forecast of $1.1 billion.
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TRANSCANADA CORP. $43 (Toronto symbol TRP; Conservative Growth Portfolio, Utilities sector; Shares outstanding: 704.0 million; Market cap: $30.3 billion; Price-to-sales ratio: 3.5; Dividend yield: 4.1%; TSINetwork Rating: Above Average; www.transcanada.com) is now building its Keystone XL pipeline in sections. In January 2012, the U.S. government rejected the full project, which aims to pump crude oil from Alberta to refineries on the U.S. Gulf Coast.
The company will soon start work on the southern section, from Oklahoma to Texas. It has now changed its path for the northern section and reapplied for the necessary permit.
TransCanada is a buy.
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The company will soon start work on the southern section, from Oklahoma to Texas. It has now changed its path for the northern section and reapplied for the necessary permit.
TransCanada is a buy.
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PENGROWTH ENERGY CORP. $6.13 (Toronto symbol PGF; Aggressive Growth Portfolio, Resources sector; Shares outstanding: 364.5 million; Market cap: $2.2 billion; Price-to sales ratio: 1.5; Dividend yield: 7.8%; TSINetwork Rating: Average; www.pengrowth.com) is cutting its monthly dividend by 42.9%, to $0.04 a share from $0.07, starting with the August 2012 payment. The new annual dividend rate of $0.48 yields 7.8%.
The company’s selling prices for oil and natural gas are falling, and it wants to conserve cash for acquisitions and investments in new projects like its Lindbergh oil sands development in Alberta.
Lindbergh should begin operating in 2015, and will increase Pengrowth’s production by a third by 2018. The project’s reserves should last 25 years.
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The company’s selling prices for oil and natural gas are falling, and it wants to conserve cash for acquisitions and investments in new projects like its Lindbergh oil sands development in Alberta.
Lindbergh should begin operating in 2015, and will increase Pengrowth’s production by a third by 2018. The project’s reserves should last 25 years.
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CANADIAN IMPERIAL BANK OF COMMERCE $72 (Toronto symbol CM; Conservative Growth Portfolio, Finance sector; Shares outstanding: 404.9 million; Market cap: $29.2 billion; Price-to-sales ratio: 2.3; Dividend yield: 5.0%; TSINetwork Rating: Above Average; www.cibc.com) is Canada’s fifth-largest bank, with total assets of $387.5 billion.
CIBC’s exposure to the five most troubled European countries was just $354 million when its fiscal 2012 second quarter ended on April 30, 2012. That’s down from $363 million on January 31, 2012 (the bank did not provide comparable figures for the end of fiscal 2011).
These amounts are small next to the $766 million, or $1.90 a share, that CIBC earned in its latest quarter. That’s up 6.1% from $722 million, or $1.80 a share, a year earlier. Without unusual items, earnings per share would have risen 9.3%, to $2.00 from $1.83. Revenue rose 2.3%, to $3.1 billion from $3.0 billion. Low interest rates continue to spur demand for loans. The bank also saw higher gains from the portfolio of securities it holds.
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CIBC’s exposure to the five most troubled European countries was just $354 million when its fiscal 2012 second quarter ended on April 30, 2012. That’s down from $363 million on January 31, 2012 (the bank did not provide comparable figures for the end of fiscal 2011).
These amounts are small next to the $766 million, or $1.90 a share, that CIBC earned in its latest quarter. That’s up 6.1% from $722 million, or $1.80 a share, a year earlier. Without unusual items, earnings per share would have risen 9.3%, to $2.00 from $1.83. Revenue rose 2.3%, to $3.1 billion from $3.0 billion. Low interest rates continue to spur demand for loans. The bank also saw higher gains from the portfolio of securities it holds.
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BANK OF MONTREAL $58 (Toronto symbol BMO; Conservative Growth Portfolio, Finance sector; Shares outstanding: 643.4 million; Market cap: $37.3 billion; Price-to-sales ratio: 2.4; Dividend yield: 4.8%; TSINetwork Rating: Above Average; www.bmo.com) is Canada’s fourth-largest bank, with assets of $525.5 billion.
The bank’s exposure to troubled European countries was a moderate $1.3 billion on April 30, 2012. That’s up from $1.0 billion three months earlier (it didn’t report comparable results for the end of fiscal 2011). The rise is mainly due to an increase in short-term loans to clients in Italy.
In the quarter ended April 30, 2012, Bank of Montreal’s earnings rose 27.5%, to $982 million from $770 million a year earlier. That mainly reflects the contribution from U.S. banking firm Marshall & Ilsley, which Bank of Montreal bought for $4.0 billion in stock in July 2011. Because of extra shares outstanding, earnings per share rose at a slower pace of 15.2%, to $1.44 from $1.25.
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The bank’s exposure to troubled European countries was a moderate $1.3 billion on April 30, 2012. That’s up from $1.0 billion three months earlier (it didn’t report comparable results for the end of fiscal 2011). The rise is mainly due to an increase in short-term loans to clients in Italy.
In the quarter ended April 30, 2012, Bank of Montreal’s earnings rose 27.5%, to $982 million from $770 million a year earlier. That mainly reflects the contribution from U.S. banking firm Marshall & Ilsley, which Bank of Montreal bought for $4.0 billion in stock in July 2011. Because of extra shares outstanding, earnings per share rose at a slower pace of 15.2%, to $1.44 from $1.25.
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BANK OF NOVA SCOTIA $53 (Toronto symbol BNS; Conservative Growth Portfolio, Finance sector; Shares outstanding: 1.1 billion; Market cap: $58.3 billion; Price-to-sales ratio: 3.4; Dividend yield: 4.2%; TSINetwork Rating: Above Average; www.scotiabank.com) is Canada’s third-largest bank, with assets of $659.7 billion.
Scotia’s overseas operations now supply 30% of its earnings. It prefers to focus on fast-growing regions like Asia and Latin America instead of Europe. The bank holds $2.5 billion of securities from troubled European countries, mainly Italy and Spain, down from $2.6 billion six months ago.
To put these figures in context, Bank of Nova Scotia earned $1.5 billion in the three months ended April 30, 2012. That’s up 16.1% from $1.3 billion a year earlier. Earnings per share rose 8.5%, to $1.15 from $1.06, on more shares outstanding. Revenue rose 1.4%, to $4.7 billion from $4.6 billion.
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Scotia’s overseas operations now supply 30% of its earnings. It prefers to focus on fast-growing regions like Asia and Latin America instead of Europe. The bank holds $2.5 billion of securities from troubled European countries, mainly Italy and Spain, down from $2.6 billion six months ago.
To put these figures in context, Bank of Nova Scotia earned $1.5 billion in the three months ended April 30, 2012. That’s up 16.1% from $1.3 billion a year earlier. Earnings per share rose 8.5%, to $1.15 from $1.06, on more shares outstanding. Revenue rose 1.4%, to $4.7 billion from $4.6 billion.
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TORONTO-DOMINION BANK $80 (Toronto symbol TD; Conservative Growth Portfolio, Finance sector; Shares outstanding: 908.2 million; Market cap: $72.7 billion; Price-to-sales ratio: 3.2; Dividend yield: 3.6%; TSINetwork Rating: Above Average; www.td.com) is Canada’s second-largest bank, with total assets of $773.2 billion.
TD is also cutting its exposure to troubled European countries. It held $691 million of investments from these nations on April 30, 2012, down from $1.0 billion on October 31, 2011.
The bank earned $1.7 billion in its second quarter, up 13.9% from $1.5 billion a year earlier. Earnings per share rose 11.7%, to $1.82 from $1.63, on more shares outstanding. These gains are largely the result of TD’s recent $6.8-billion purchase of MBNA’s Canadian credit card business. Revenue rose 11.5%, to $5.8 billion from $5.2 billion.
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TD is also cutting its exposure to troubled European countries. It held $691 million of investments from these nations on April 30, 2012, down from $1.0 billion on October 31, 2011.
The bank earned $1.7 billion in its second quarter, up 13.9% from $1.5 billion a year earlier. Earnings per share rose 11.7%, to $1.82 from $1.63, on more shares outstanding. These gains are largely the result of TD’s recent $6.8-billion purchase of MBNA’s Canadian credit card business. Revenue rose 11.5%, to $5.8 billion from $5.2 billion.
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BOMBARDIER INC. (Toronto symbols BBD.A $4.06 and BBD.B $4.01; Aggressive Growth Portfolio, Manufacturing & Industry sector; Shares outstanding: 1.7 billion; Market cap: $6.9 billion; Price-to-sales ratio: 0.4; Dividend yield: 2.5%; TSINetwork Rating: Average; www.bombardier.com) has traditionally been a maker of smaller aircraft, such as business jets and regional planes.
The company is now adding larger models, such as its upcoming CSeries jets, which seat between 100 and 150 passengers. Bombardier is still developing and testing the CSeries, but it aims to deliver the first plane in the next 18 months.
Even with the current economic uncertainty, the company recently announced new orders for a total of 35 CSeries planes.
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The company is now adding larger models, such as its upcoming CSeries jets, which seat between 100 and 150 passengers. Bombardier is still developing and testing the CSeries, but it aims to deliver the first plane in the next 18 months.
Even with the current economic uncertainty, the company recently announced new orders for a total of 35 CSeries planes.
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