Better contracts lift ShawCor’s profit

Article Excerpt

SHAWCOR LTD. $29 (Toronto symbol SCL; Aggressive Growth Portfolio, Manufacturing & Industry sector; Shares outstanding: 69.9 million; Market cap: $2.0 billion; Price-to-sales ratio: 2.0; Dividend yield: 2.1%; TSINetwork Rating: Average; www.shawcor.com) makes sealants and coatings to keep oil and gas pipelines from rusting. It also makes electrical wire, protective sheaths and other industrial products. In the three months ended March 31, 2017, ShawCor’s revenue fell 1.6%, to $359.7 million from $365.6 million a year earlier. That’s because lower demand for pipeline coating in Europe offset higher demand in North America, Latin America and Asia. More-profitable contracts and lower costs lifted ShawCor’s earnings in the quarter 102.8%, to $15.1 million from $7.5 million. Earnings per share gained 83.3%, to $0.22 from $0.12, on more shares outstanding. The company’s order backlog as of March 31, 2017, was $648 million. ShawCor’s strong reputation should help it win more contracts as it waits on decisions involving over $2.2 billion worth of bids. ShawCor is a buy. buy…