Cost cuts set them up for a rebound

Article Excerpt

WAJAX CORP. $22.64 (Toronto symbol WJX; TSINetwork Rating: Extra Risk) (905-212-3300; www.wajax.ca; Shares outstanding: 20.0 million; Market cap: $477.0 million; Dividend yield: 4.4%) sells and services cranes, forklifts and other heavy equipment. It also provides related parts and systems such as ball bearings, hoses, diesel en gines and transmissions. Wajax’s customers are spread across the resources, construction, manufacturing and transportation industries. In the three months ended March 31, 2017, the company’s revenue rose 11.7%, to $318.4 million from $285.0 million a year earlier. The gain came from higher sales to mining, construction and forestry customers in Western Canada. Wajax made $6.2 million in the latest quarter, or $0.31 a share. That’s compared to a loss of $600,000, or $0.03 a share. The increase was due to the higher revenue, as well as lower selling and administrative costs. The company’s latest restructuring efforts contributed to its earnings in the most recent quarter. Introduced early last year, the plan aims to reduce Wajax’s workforce by 10%…