Poor liquidity hurts Canada Bread

Article Excerpt

CANADA BREAD CO. LTD. $52 (Toronto symbol CBY; Conservative Growth Portfolio, Consumer sector; Shares outstanding: 25.4 million; Market cap: $1.3 billion; Price-to-sales ratio: 0.8; Dividend yield: 0.5%; SI Rating: Above Average) is Canada’s second-largest maker of baked goods after Weston Bakery. The company also makes specialty pastas and sauces. Its main brands include Dempster, Tenderflake and Olivieri. Like Maple Leaf, Canada Bread is developing new products that should help fuel its earnings. These include new versions of its main products that use whole grains and natural ingredients to promote better digestion. The company has also introduced low-sodium, high-fibre products that help lower cholesterol. Canada Bread is closing its three outdated bakeries in Toronto, including one housed in a building that’s over 100 years old. The company will shift their production into a new plant that it plans to build in southwestern Ontario. This new facility will be the biggest bakery in Canada. The company will choose a location for the new plant…