Balance sheets protect you during COVID-19

Article Excerpt

COVID-19 has had a punishing impact on the aviation industry. Still, investors in companies with strong balance sheets, such as CAE, are in a much better position during and after the crisis than those invested in more-leveraged firms like Bombardier. CAE INC. $22 is still a buy. This stock (Toronto symbol CAE; Conservative Growth Portfolio, Manufacturing & Industry sector; Shares o/s: 266.1 million; Market cap: $5.9 billion; Price-to-sales ratio: 1.6; Dividend suspended in April 2020; TSINetwork Rating: Average; www.cae.com) lets you tap a leading maker of flight simulators for commercial and military aircraft. CAE also operates pilot-training schools in 30-plus countries and makes mannequins and other medical-simulators for training health professionals. The COVID-19 outbreak has hurt demand for the company’s flight simulators. It has also closed a third of CAE’s pilot-training schools. The civilian aviation operations supply about 60% of its revenue and 80% of its earnings. As a result, the company has suspended its $0.11-a-share quarterly dividend. That should save it $111 million a year…