Saputo suspends its DRIP

Article Excerpt

SAPUTO INC. $28 is a hold. The company (Toronto symbol SAP; High-Growth Payer Portfolio, Consumer sector; Shares outstanding: 424.2 million; Market cap: $11.9 billion; Dividend yield: 2.6%; Dividend Sustainability Rating: Above Average; www.saputo.com) is Canada’s largest producer of dairy products. It also operates dairies in the U.S., Australia, the U.K. and Argentina. With the September 2023 payment, Saputo raised your quarterly dividend by 2.8%. The new annual rate of $0.74 yields 2.6%. Investors should note that the company recently suspended its Dividend Reinvestment Plan (DRIP). Saputo feels that will give it more flexibility to implement its current restructuring plan, which mainly includes closing older, less-efficient facilities. For the current fiscal year, ending March 31, 2024, earnings will probably fall about 14% to $1.55 a share. The stock trades at 18.1 times that figure. Saputo is a hold. hold…