Updating SAPUTO INC., TRANSCANADA CORP, and METRO INC.

Article Excerpt

SAPUTO INC. $47 (Toronto symbol SAP; Aggressive Growth Portfolio, Consumer sector; Shares outstanding: 194.3 million; Market cap: $9.1 billion; Price-to-sales ratio: 1.1; Dividend yield: 1.8%; TSINetwork Rating: Average; www.saputo.com) recently agreed to a friendly takeover of Warrnambool Cheese and Butter Factory, one of Australia’s largest producers of milk, cheese, butter and other dairy products. However, hostile offers from Australian dairy firms have forced Saputo to increase its original bid by 31%. Australian competition regulators have now blocked Saputo from increasing its 9.6% stake in Warrnambool for the next two months. That will give them time to determine whether these rival bidders, if successful, would gain an overwhelming share of Australia’s dairy market. Saputo is still a hold. TRANSCANADA CORP. $46 (Toronto symbol TRP; Conservative Growth and Income Portfolios, Utilities sector; Shares outstanding: 707.0 million; Market cap: $32.5 billion; Priceto- sales ratio: 3.6; Dividend yield: 4.0%; TSINetwork Rating: A b o v e A v e r a g e ;..