Restatements Are a Minor Setback

Article Excerpt

TRANSCONTINENTAL INC. $18 (Toronto symbol TCL.A; Aggressive Growth Portfolio, Consumer sector; Shares outstanding: 84.5 million; Market cap; $1.5 billion; SI Rating: Average) will restate its earnings to correct two accounting errors. It originally reported earnings for the year ended October 31, 2006 of $134.3 million or $1.54 a share, excluding restructuring costs. These restatements will cut Transcontinental’s 2006 earnings by $10 million, and by a further $10 million in prior years. The restatements grow out of the size and timing of estimated expenses like inter-company transactions and depreciation. They do not involve cash outlays like employees’ salaries, so they will have no effect on Transcontinental’s cash flow or cash balances. Transcontinental’s stock has moved down from $21 in November, 2007, mainly due to concerns that an economic slowdown would hurt advertising revenue at its newspapers and flyer-printing businesses. The company’s U.S. and Mexican operations supply 30% of its revenue, so it’s also vulnerable to a rising Canadian dollar. However, recent investments in…