New rating for Torstar

Article Excerpt

TORSTAR $5.67 (Toronto symbol TS.B; Shares outstanding: 79.9 million; Market cap: $402.8 million; TSINetwork Rating: (NEW) Average; Dividend yield: 9.3%; www.torstar.com) continues to cut costs as more people get their news from the Internet. This secular trend is working against newspapers and print advertising. As a result, we’ve cut Torstar’s TSINetwork Rating from “Above Average” to “Average.” However, we feel its lower costs put it in a good position to rebound as the economy grows. The company also owns oneof- a-kind trophy assets like The Toronto Star, and it could unlock some of its hidden value by spinning off its Harlequin book business. As well, the dividend seems safe for now. Torstar is a buy. buy…