Higher results despite COVID threat

Article Excerpt

MAPLE LEAF FOODS INC. $29 is still a hold. The company (Toronto symbol MFI; Conservative Growth Portfolio, Consumer sector; Shares o/s: 123.9 million; Market cap: $3.6 billion; P.S. ratio: 0.9; Divd. yield: 2.2%; 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 June 30, 2020, rose 7.0%, to $1.09 billion from $1.02 billion a year earlier. COVID-19 lockdowns prompted consumers to stock up on its products, which offset lower sales to restaurants. Higher exports to China also lifted sales. The pandemic has forced the company to install protective barriers and increase sanitation inside its plants. It also temporarily increased employee wages. In all, those costs totalled $19 million. Despite those outlays, Maple Leaf still earned $25.7 million, or $0.21 a share in the quarter. That’s a big improvement over its year-earlier loss of $6.3 million, or $0.05. Earnings per share improved 6.1%, to $0.35 from $0.33. However, Maple Leaf continues to…