COVID-19 clouds Maple Leaf’s outlook

Article Excerpt

Maple Leaf Foods continues to benefit as COVID-19 lockdowns keep people eating at home. The company is also broadening its product lineup with plant-based meats. However, rising costs to protect its facilities from COVID-19 outbreaks dampen its short-term outlook. MAPLE LEAF FOODS INC. $26 is still a hold. The company (Toronto symbol MFI; Conservative Growth Portfolio, Consumer sector; Shares outstanding: 123.9 million; Market cap: $3.2 billion; Price-to-sales ratio: 0.8; Dividend yield: 2.5%; TSINetwork Rating: Average; www.mapleleaffoods.com) sells fresh and prepared meats under the Maple Leaf and Schneider labels. Maple Leaf’s sales in the three months ended September 30, 2020, rose 6.2%, to $1.06 billion from $995.8 million a year earlier. The higher sales are mainly due to strong demand from consumers as they eat more meals at home due to COVID-19. That offset lower sales to restaurants. The pandemic has forced the company to install protective barriers and increase sanitation inside its plants. Despite those outlays, Maple Leaf’s earnings soared 466.7%, to $0.17 a share from…