Ruling Could Lead to More U.S. Expansion

Article Excerpt

SAPUTO INC. $38 (Toronto symbol SAP; Aggressive Growth Portfolio; Consumer sector; SI Rating: Average) will likely earn an extra $0.06 a share a year thanks to a ruling by agricultural regulators in the United States that will cut the cost of bulk milk for cheese makers like Saputo. However, the cut is only half of what cheese makers were asking for. Due to shrinking profit margins, the decision could prompt smaller companies to put themselves up for sale. Saputo has a strong history of consolidating acquisitions and cutting costs, and would be a likely buyer. It would probably focus on specialty cheese companies, which are less sensitive to milk prices than regular cheeses. Saputo should earn $2.12 a share in the fiscal year ending March 31, 2007, and the stock trades at 17.9 times that figure. The $0.80 dividend yields 2.1%. Saputo is a buy. …