Toromont expands key unit

Article Excerpt

TOROMONT INDUSTRIES LTD. $124 is a buy. The company (Toronto symbol TIH; Aggressive Growth Portfolio; Manufacturing sector; Shares outstanding: 81.9 million; Market cap: $10.2 billion; Price-to-sales ratio: 2.1; Dividend yield: 1.6%; TSINetwork Rating: Extra Risk; www.toromont.com) distributes a broad range of Caterpillar and other branded industrial equipment (such as bulldozers, backhoe loaders and drills) in eastern Canada and the Eastern Seaboard of the U.S. The company also makes refrigeration systems through its CIMCO business. Toromont recently acquired Tri-City Equipment Rentals. That firm rents heavy equipment across Southwestern Ontario. The purchase is part of Toromont’s plan to expand its rental operations. In the three months ended June 30, 2024, rentals accounted for 9% of the equipment division’s total revenue. Toromont has not yet said how much it paid for Tri-City. However, it can easily afford to make acquisitions. As of June 30, 2024, it held cash of $1.04 billion, while its long-term debt of $647.8 million is a low 6% of its market cap. The company will probably…