Topic: How To Invest

Hello Pat: What are your views on Vicwest? Thanks.

Article Excerpt

Vicwest Inc., $13.25, symbol VIC on Toronto (Shares outstanding: 17.4 million; Market cap: $230.7 million; www.vicwestinc.com) makes building-construction products, including roofing, decking and siding. It also makes building products for farm and industrial use, such as steel doors. It has 15 plants in Canada. The Oakville, Ontario-based company converted from an income trust to a conventional corporation on January 1, 2011. Prior to its conversion, it was called Vicwest Income Fund. In the three months ended March 31, 2011, Vicwest earned $0.15 a share. That’s up 7.1%, from $0.14 a share a year earlier. Revenue rose 7.8%, to $82.1 million from $76.1 million. The company holds cash of $2.7 million or $0.16 a share. Its long-term debt of $76.4 million is 33.0% of its market cap. Vicwest currently pays a quarterly dividend of $0.27 a share, for an annual rate of $1.08. That gives the shares an 8.2% yield. However, the company is now paying out around 98% of its cash flow…