Topic: Dividend Stocks

TRANSCONTINENTAL INC. $20 – Toronto symbol TCL.A

TRANSCONTINENTAL INC. $20 (Toronto symbol TCL.A; Aggressive Growth Portfolio, Consumer sector; Shares outstanding: 78.0 million; Market cap: $1.6 billion; Price-to-sales ratio: 0.8; Dividend yield: 3.4%; TSINetwork Rating: Average; www.tctranscontinental.com) recently purchased Brooklyn, New York-based Ultra Flex Packaging, a privately held maker of flexible plastic packages for candy, coffee and other foods.

Transcontinental paid $80 million U.S. for Ultra Flex, which will add $72 million U.S. to its annual revenue and $12 million to its gross profits. This purchase looks like a good fit with U.S.-based Capri Packaging, which makes plastic bags and pouches for cheese and other dairy products. Transcontinental paid $146.1 million for Capri in May 2014.

< p>Meanwhile, the company’s earnings rose 30.5% in its 2015 third quarter, which ended July 31, 2015, to $48.8 million, or $0.62 a share. A year earlier, Transcontinental earned $37.4 million, or $0.48 a share.

< p>Revenue slipped 0.2%, to $481.9 million from $483.0 million. Contributions from acquisitions offset lower revenue from printing advertising flyers, particularly after Target closed its 133 Canadian stores. The lower Canadian dollar also boosted the value of its U.S. sales.

< p>As well, the company announced several new printing contracts, including a deal to print Canada’s census forms in 2016. Combined, these deals will add $30 million to its annual revenue. The stock has risen 45% in the past year and trades at a low 8.5 times its likely full-year earnings of $2.36 a share. The $0.68 dividend yields 3.4%.

< p>Transcontinental is a buy.

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