Toromont’s rising backlog is a plus

Article Excerpt

TOROMONT INDUSTRIES LTD. $93 is a buy. The company (Toronto symbol TIH; High-Growth Dividend Payer Portfolio; Manufacturing & Industry sector; Shares outstanding: 82.3 million; Market cap: $7.7 billion; Dividend yield: 1.3%; Dividend Sustainability Rating: Above Average; www.toromont.com) distributes a range of industrial equipment, including Caterpillar machinery, in eastern Canada. It also makes refrigeration systems through its CIMCO business. With the April 2020 payment, Toromont raised its quarterly dividend by 14.8%. Investors now receive $0.31 a share, up from $0.27. The new annual rate of $1.24 yields 1.3%. The company has increased its dividend for 31 consecutive years. Despite the pandemic, the company’s backlog stood at $472.1 million as of September 30, 2020—up 4.0% from a year earlier. Higher orders at CIMCO offset lower demand at the equipment group. Toromont is still a buy. buy…