Topic: How To Invest

Q: Hi, Pat. What do you think about The Chefs’ Warehouse as a stock to buy? Thanks.

Article Excerpt

A: The Chefs’ Warehouse, $37.92, symbol CHEF on Nasdaq (Shares outstanding: 29.9 million; Market cap: $1.1 billion, www.chefswarehouse.com), distributes specialty food products in the U.S. and Canada. The company’s product portfolio includes 55,000 products needed by chefs operating in high-end, menu-driven restaurants, fine-dining establishments, country clubs, hotels, caterers, culinary schools, bakeries, patisseries, chocolatiers, cruise lines, casinos, and specialty food stores. The company’s product line includes items such as artisan charcuterie, gourmet cheeses, unique oils and vinegars, truffles, caviar, chocolate, and pastry as well as “center-of-the-plate products,” including custom-cut beef, seafood, and hormone-free poultry. Chefs’ Warehouse also markets its specialty products directly to consumers through a mail and e-commerce platform. The company has a solid record of growth. Since 2014, revenue has increased 67.3%, from $836.6 million to $1.4 billion. Earnings improved 47.8%, from $13.8 million ($0.57 per share) in 2014 to $20.4 million ($0.70 per share) in 2018. They then slumped to $3.0 million ($0.12 per share) in 2016 as the economy slowed. From a..