It’s still a hold despite dividend hike

Article Excerpt

MAPLE LEAF FOODS INC. $27 is still a hold. The company (Toronto symbol MFI; Conservative Growth Portfolio, Consumer sector; Shares outstanding: 123.9 million; Market cap: $3.3 billion; Price-to-sales ratio: 0.8; Dividend yield: 2.7%; TSINetwork Rating: Average; www.mapleleaffoods.com) reported an 11.1% sales rise for the three months ended December 31, 2020, to $1.13 billion from $1.02 billion a year earlier. That gain was mainly due to strong demand from consumers as they eat more meals at home due to COVID-19. That offset lower sales to restaurants. The pandemic has forced the company to install protective barriers and increase sanitation inside its plants. Despite those outlays, Maple Leaf’s earnings soared 150.0%, to $0.30 a share from $0.12. The company is now increasing its quarterly dividend by 12.5%, to $0.18 a share from $0.16. The new annual rate of $0.72 yields 2.7%. However, ongoing COVID-19 disruptions and costs to expand its plant-protein operations will continue to squeeze profit margins. Maple Leaf Foods is still a hold. hold. …