Lower costs will help Saputo cope

Article Excerpt

Dairy products maker Saputo recently began a multi-year restructuring plan to improve productivity and help it cope with rising fuel, labour and other costs. It also stands to gain as restaurants see business ramp up following COVID lockdowns. Still, the stock will likely trade in a narrow range until the company completes that restructuring. SAPUTO INC. $34 is a hold. The company (Toronto symbol SAP; Aggressive Growth Portfolio, Consumer sector; Shares outstanding: 417.9 million; Market cap: $14.2 billion; Price-to-sales ratio: 1.1; Dividend yield: 2.1%; TSINetwork Rating: Average; www.saputo.com) is Canada’s largest producer of dairy products. It also operates dairies in the U.S., Australia, the U.K. and Argentina. The company has a total of 67 plants and sells its products in over 60 countries. The U.S. is its biggest market accounting for 43% of its sales, followed by Canada (28%), Australia and Argentina (23%) and Europe (6%). Sales of dairy products have suffered due to restaurant shutdowns during the pandemic. In response, Saputo has announced a new…