Kobo uncertainty weighs on Indigo

Article Excerpt

INDIGO BOOKS & MUSIC INC. $12 (Toronto symbol IDG; Aggressive Growth Portfolio, Consumer sector; Shares outstanding: 25.2 million; Market cap: $321.1 million; Price-to-sales ratio: 0.3; Dividend yield: 3.6%; TSINetwork Rating: Average; www.chapters.indigo.ca) owns 51.4% of Kobo Inc., which sells electronic books and e-book readers. U.S.-based bookseller Borders Group also owns 11% of Kobo. Borders recently declared bankruptcy, and is now in liquidation. It’s unclear if Indigo will buy this interest. Such a move would further weigh on the company’s earnings, which are already suffering because of its ongoing Kobo investments. As well, the closure of Borders’ bookstores cuts off an important distribution channel for the Kobo e-book reader. Indigo is still a hold. …