Topic: How To Invest

Q: Hi Pat: I would like to get your opinion on Richards Packaging. Thanks.

Article Excerpt

A: Richards Packaging Income Fund, $35.18, symbol RPI.UN on Toronto (Units outstanding: 10.9 million; Market cap: $387.8 million; www.richardspackaging.com), is a full-service packaging distributor to small- and medium-sized North American businesses. The fund first sold stock to the public at $10 a unit and began trading on Toronto in April 2004. In 2011, Richards decided to remain an income trust despite Ottawa’s move to drop tax breaks for businesses structured that way. The fund is the largest packaging distributor in Canada and the third largest in North America. It distributes more than 5,000 different types of cardboard, glass, and plastic packaging containers such as bottles, caps, trays and food cups. These products are sourced from over 600 suppliers and from Richards’ own manufacturing facilities. Over 14,000 regional food, beverage, cosmetic, chemical, and pharmaceutical companies, spread across North America, make up the fund’s customer base. About 48% of its sales come from Canada and 52% from the U.S. Richards is the only North American distributor…