Safer than it looks

Article Excerpt

TRANSCONTINENTAL INC. $15 (Toronto symbol TCL.A; Aggressive Growth Portfolio, Consumer sector; Shares outstanding: 78.0 million; Market cap: $1.2 billion; Price-to-sales ratio: 0.6; Dividend yield: 4.3%; TSINetwork Rating: Average; www. tctranscontinental.com) aims to cut its reliance on cyclical print advertising with a new deal to buy Missouri-based Capri Packaging, which makes plastic packaging for food. The company will pay $133 million U.S. when the deal closes later this year. Capri’s two plants generate $72 million U.S. of annual revenue. Transcontinental feels its commercial printing expertise will help it make Capri more efficient. Acquisitions always expose the buyer to hidden risks. However, Transcontinental has signed a 10-year deal to supply packaging to dairy producer Schreiber Foods, Capri’s parent company. Schreiber accounts for 75% of Capri’s revenue, so this acquisition is safer than it looks. Meanwhile, Transcontinental’s revenue fell 5.0% in the quarter ended January 31, 2014, to $499.3 million (Canadian) from $525.6 million a year earlier. That’s mainly because the uncertain economy…