Weston sells a big unit

Article Excerpt

GEORGE WESTON LTD., $136.73, is a buy. The holding company (Toronto symbol WN; Shares o/s: 149.8 million; Market cap: $20.4 billion; TSINetwork Rating: Above Average; Dividend yield: 1.8%; www.weston.ca) makes a number of bakery products through Weston Foods. It also owns a 52.6% stake in Loblaw and a 61.7% stake in Choice Properties REIT. George Weston has now agreed to sell Weston Foods to FGF Brands for $1.2 billion. As well, it still plans to sell off its remaining food business, which includes cookies and crackers. The Weston Foods sale will give George Weston lots of cash to buy back shares or boost dividends. At the same time, a sale will help to reduce its “holding company discount” (the tendency of holding companies to trade for less than the total value of their assets). That discount now stands at about 15%. Going forward, it’s likely to further narrow as the company unlocks even more value. George Weston is a buy. buy…