Higher Input Costs And Taxes Hurt Profits

Article Excerpt

CANADA BREAD COMPANY, LTD. $60 (Toronto symbol CBY; Conservative Growth Portfolio, Consumer sector; Shares outstanding: 25.4 million; Market cap: $1.5 billion; SI Rating: Above average) reported a 12.0% increase in sales in the second quarter of 2007, to $375.7 million from $335.5 million a year earlier. If you disregard acquisitions, sales grew 6%. However, earnings per share fell 6.7%, to $0.84 from $0.90, due to a 17% jump in wheat costs. The company’s tax rate also increased to 34.7% in the latest quarter from 26.4%, due to changes at its U.S. bakery operations. Maple Leaf Foods’ high degree of ownership hurts Canada Bread’s liquidity. But Maple Leaf will probably wait until it finishes its restructuring before taking Canada Bread private. Meanwhile, the stock trades at 16.9 times the $3.54 a share it will probably earn in 2007. The $0.24 dividend yields 0.4%. Canada Bread is a buy. buy…