Weston comes with a hidden asset

Article Excerpt

George Weston is a holding company, with full ownership of, or a signifiant stake in, several businesses. Most holding companies trade for less than the combined value of their assets. This “holding company discount” represents a special kind of hidden asset. But, when the firm sells assets or breaks itself up into two or more companies, the market recognizes the full value of its holdings. That benefits existing shareholders. George Weston has no break-up plans. But even so, buying its stock at a discount effectively puts more assets to work for each dollar you invest. GEORGE WESTON LTD. $110.00 (Toronto symbol WN; Shares o/s: 153.6 million; Market cap: $16.9 billion; TSINetwork Rating: Above Average; Dividend yield: 1.9%; www.weston.ca) makes a number of products through Weston Foods. They include fresh and frozen bakery goods in Canada and biscuits, cookies, cones and wafers in the U.S. The company now owns 50.4% of Loblaw (see page 69) and 65.3% of Choice Properties REIT. In the three months ended…