Saputo needs a catalyst

Article Excerpt

SAPUTO INC. $30 is a hold. The company (Toronto symbol SAP; Aggressive Growth Portfolio, Consumer sector; Shares outstanding: 424.3 million; Market cap: $12.7 billion; Price-to-sales ratio: 0.7; Dividend yield: 2.5%; 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. Sales in Saputo’s fiscal 2024 fourth quarter, ended March 31, 2024, rose 1.7%, to $4.55 billion from $4.47 billion a year earlier. Higher sales at its Canadian and international operations offset weaker cheese prices in the U.S. Saputo is now close to completing a multi-year restructuring plan, which mainly involves replacing older facilities with new plants using automated machinery. If you exclude costs related to its restructuring, earnings in the quarter declined 19.6%, to $0.37 a share (or a total of $156 million) from $0.46 a share (or $196 million). That’s due to higher operating costs, interest charges and taxes. Savings from the restructuring plan will probably lift Saputo’s earnings by 21% to $1.86…