Bargain price offsets Candu’s risk

Article Excerpt

SNC-LAVALIN GROUP INC. $57 (Toronto symbol SNC; Aggressive Growth Portfolio, Manufacturing & Industry sector; Shares outstanding: 150.8 million; Market cap: $8.6 billion; Price-to-sales ratio: 1.3; Dividend yield: 1.5%; TSINetwork Rating: Average; www.snclavalin.com) is buying the money-losing Candu nuclearreactor business of Atomic Energy of Canada Ltd. from the federal government. Reactor demand has suffered in the wake of the Japanese earthquake and tsunami, which damaged the Fukushima nuclear plant and allowed radiation to escape. Moreover, Germany recently announced plans to shut down all of its nuclear reactors by 2022. However, the $15-million price is just 20.3% of the $73.9 million, or $0.49 a share, that SNC earned in the three months ended March 31, 2011. As well, Candu is nearly finished refurbishing three reactors. Once they’re completed, SNC will cut Candu’s workforce of 2,000 by 40%. The resulting lower costs should make Candu more profitable. SNC-Lavalin is a buy. buy…