Cost cuts improve MDS’s outlook

Article Excerpt

MDS INC. $6.30 (Toronto symbol MDS; Conservative Growth Portfolio, Consumer sector; Shares outstanding: 120.1 million; Market cap: $756.6 million; Price-to-sales ratio: 0.6; SI Rating: Average) is a life-sciences company that sells its goods and services in three fields: contract drug research (on behalf of pharmaceutical companies), analytical devices (which scientists use to detect diseases) and medical isotopes for cancer research. In its fiscal first quarter, which ended January 31, 2009, MDS’s earnings fell 89.5%, to $2 million, or $0.02 a share, from $19 million, or $0.16 a share, a year earlier (all amounts except share price in U.S. dollars). If you disregard a one-time writedown of an investment in a small biotech company and other charges, per-share earnings fell 14.3%, to $0.06 from $0.07. MDS has completed 80% of its restructuring plan, which began in 2008 and included cutting 210 jobs, or 4% of the company’s workforce. The plan saved MDS $14 million in its latest quarter. Revenue dropped 14.6%, to $275 million…