Another Out-of-favour Buy

Article Excerpt

TORSTAR CORP. $22 (Toronto symbol TS.B; Conservative Growth Portfolio, Consumer sector; Shares outstanding: 78.5 million; Market cap: $1.7 billion; SI Rating: Above average) earned $0.20 a share (total $15.7 million) in the first quarter of 2007, nearly triple the $0.07 a share (total $5.9 million) it earned a year-earlier. However, the year-earlier earnings did include a $3.7 million (pre-tax) restructuring charge. Revenue rose 5.7%, to $377.4 million from $357.1 million. Most of the gains come from Torstar’s community newspaper division and Internet sites, which offset flat growth at its flagship newspaper, The Toronto Star. The company now plans to redesign The Toronto Star, including narrowing its size. That should save it $4 million a year. The stock moved up after Fairfax Financial Holdings Inc. acquired about 18% of Torstar’s non-voting ‘B’ shares. A takeover offer for Dow Jones, owner of The Wall Street Journal, has also helped draw attention to the value of strong newspaper brands. Torstar has plenty of hidden value it…