Printer renews key contract

Article Excerpt

TRANSCONTINENTAL INC. $23 (Toronto symbol TCL.A; Aggressive Growth Portfolio, Consumer sector; Shares outstanding: 77.4 million; Market cap: $1.8 billion; Price-to-sales ratio: 0.9; Dividend yield: 3.5%; TSINetwork Rating: Average; www.tctranscontinental.com) is Canada’s leading printer of advertising flyers, magazines, books and newspapers. In addition, it publishes weekly newspapers in Quebec and Atlantic Canada. The company also makes plastic packaging for food products. In its fiscal 2017 first quarter, ended January 29, 2017, Transcontinental’s earnings slipped 0.2%, to $41.3 million from $41.4 million a year earlier. Due to fewer shares outstanding, earnings per share were unchanged at $0.53. Revenue in the quarter improved 0.9%, to $503.6 million from $498.9 million a year earlier. Gains from the company’s packaging operations, including its $113.0 million purchase of Ultra Flex Packaging in 2015, offset lower advertising revenue at its newspapers. Transcontinental recently extended its deal to print flyers for the Lowe’s Canada and Rona home improvement chains. The deal is worth $200 million over the next five years. The company…