Sale boosts CAE’s long-term prospects

Article Excerpt

CAE recently agreed to sell its healthcare business, which makes medical-simulators and mannequins for training health professionals. That will let it better focus on its main flight simulator and pilot-training operations, particularly as the global air travel industry will need 1.3 million new pilots, aircraft maintenance technicians and cabin crew over the next 10 years. The cash from the sale will also let CAE pay down its debt, which should help it resume dividend payments. CAE INC. $29 is a buy. The company (Toronto symbol CAE; Conservative Growth Portfolio, Manufacturing & Industry sector; Shares outstanding: 318.1 million; Market cap: $9.2 billion; Price-to-sales ratio: 2.2; Dividend suspended in March 2020; TSINetwork Rating: Average; www.cae.com) is a leading maker of flight simulators for commercial and military aircraft. It also operates pilot-training schools in over 40 countries. CAE’s overall revenue rose 9.7%, from $3.30 billion in fiscal 2019 to $3.62 billion in 2020 (fiscal years end March 31). Revenue then fell 17.7% in 2021, to $2.98 billion, as…