Updating TIM HORTONS INC., CANADA BREAD CO. LTD., TRANSCANADA CORP. and THE WESTAIM CORP.

Article Excerpt

TIM HORTONS INC. $32 (Toronto symbol THI; Aggressive Growth Portfolio, Consumer sector; Shares outstanding: 181.5 million; Market cap: $5.8 billion; Price-to-sales ratio: 3.0; SI Rating: Average) plans to buy back up to 5% of its outstanding shares in 2009. This could cost it $200 million. (In 2008, it earned $301 million, or $1.64 a share.) Share buybacks reduce the number of shares outstanding, which increases the value of the remaining shares. Tim Hortons has also raised its dividend by 11.1%, to $0.40 a share, for a yield of 1.3%. Tim Hortons is a buy. CANADA BREAD CO. LTD. $39 (Toronto symbol CBY; Conservative Growth Portfolio, Consumer sector; Shares outstanding: 25.4 million; Market cap: $990.6 million; Price-to-sales ratio: 0.6; SI Rating: Above Average) earned $64.9 million, or $2.55 a share, in 2008. That’s down 22.6% from $83.8 million, or $3.30 a share, the previous year. However, these figures include several non-recurring items, including the replacement of a U.K. bagel plant that was destroyed…