Restructuring pays off for MFI

Article Excerpt

MAPLE LEAF FOODS INC. $28 (Toronto symbol MFI; Conservative Growth Portfolio, Consumer sector; Shares outstanding: 134.6 million; Market cap: $3.8 billion; Price-to-sales ratio: 1.1; Dividend yield: 1.3%; TSINetwork Rating: Average; www.mapleleaffoods.com) sells fresh and prepared meats under the Maple Leaf and Schneider brands. Thanks to savings from a restructuring plan, including shifting meat production to newer, more-efficient plants, Maple Leaf earned $31.8 million in the third quarter of 2016. That’s a 70.1% jump from $18.7 million a year earlier; due to fewer shares outstanding, earnings per share gained 84.6%, to $0.24 from $0.13. Sales rose 4.1%, to $852.1 million from $818.8 million a year earlier. The stock trades at a somewhat high 20.9 times the $1.24 a share Maple Leaf will probably earn in 2016. Its $0.36 dividend yields 1.3%. Maple Leaf Foods is a hold. hold…