Higher costs, currency hit Canada Bread

Article Excerpt

CANADA BREAD CO. LTD. $47 (Toronto symbol CBY; Conservative Growth Portfolio, Consumer sector; Shares outstanding: 25.4 million; Market cap: $1.2 billion; Price-to-sales ratio: 0.7; Dividend yield: 0.5%; TSINetwork Rating: Above Average; www.canadabread.ca) earned $2.85 a share in 2010, down 10.9% from $3.20 in 2009. The latest earnings exclude the costs of a new bakery in Hamilton, Ontario, which should begin operating in July 2011. Savings from this new plant will help Canada Bread offset rising costs for wheat and other ingredients. Sales fell 6.9%, to $1.6 billion from $1.7 billion, as the high Canadian dollar hurt the contribution of its U.K. and U.S. operations. Canada Bread is still a hold. hold…