Topic: How To Invest

Hello Pat: Can you tell me your thoughts on Glacier Media Inc.? Thank you as always for your excellent advice over the years.

Article Excerpt

Glacier Media, $2.08, symbol GVC on Toronto (Shares outstanding: 89.4 million; Market cap: $182.4 million; www.glaciermedia.ca), publishes community newspapers in western Canada and trade magazines, specialty and technical publications that are read by professionals across North America. In the three months ended September 30, 2011, Glacier’s revenue rose 12.9%, to $62.0 million from $54.9 million a year earlier. Before one-time items, earnings rose 99.5%, to $4.2 million from $2.1 million. Earnings per share rose 150.0%, to $0.05 from $0.02, on fewer shares outstanding. The company continues to buy back shares. It spent $1.8 million on buybacks in the latest quarter and $3 million in the first three quarters of this year. Glacier continues to grow through acquisition. In early 2011, it bought 15 trade magazines from Rogers Communications, including Canadian Contractor, Canadian Manufacturing Online, Canadian Metalworking, Canadian Packaging, Canadian Plastics, Hardware Merchandising and Fraser’s Directory. Recently, it bought a number of publications in B.C. from Postmedia Network for $86.5 million. These included the Victoria…