Saputo Inc. (TSE:SAP) Given Average Rating of “Buy” by Analysts

Saputo Inc. (TSE:SAP) has earned a consensus rating of “Buy” from the seven brokerages that are currently covering the stock, Marketbeat.com reports. Seven equities research analysts have rated the stock with a buy recommendation. The average 1-year price objective among brokers that have updated their coverage on the stock in the last year is C$35.50.

Several equities research analysts have commented on SAP shares. Royal Bank of Canada boosted their price objective on Saputo from C$36.00 to C$39.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a research note on Tuesday, June 4th. BMO Capital Markets boosted their price target on Saputo from C$34.00 to C$35.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a research report on Monday, June 10th. CIBC decreased their price objective on Saputo from C$37.00 to C$35.00 and set an “outperform” rating on the stock in a report on Monday, August 12th. TD Securities lifted their target price on shares of Saputo from C$36.00 to C$37.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research note on Monday, June 10th. Finally, National Bankshares reduced their target price on shares of Saputo from C$36.00 to C$35.00 and set an “outperform” rating for the company in a research report on Monday, August 12th.

Saputo Price Performance

Saputo stock opened at C$29.96 on Thursday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 53.17, a quick ratio of 0.67 and a current ratio of 1.59. The company’s fifty day moving average price is C$30.72 and its 200 day moving average price is C$28.62. The stock has a market capitalization of C$12.71 billion, a P/E ratio of 47.56, a P/E/G ratio of 0.21 and a beta of 0.33. Saputo has a 1 year low of C$25.28 and a 1 year high of C$32.15.

Saputo (TSE:SAP) last announced its earnings results on Thursday, August 8th. The company reported C$0.39 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of C$0.37 by C$0.02. Saputo had a net margin of 1.50% and a return on equity of 3.72%. The business had revenue of C$4.61 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of C$4.44 billion. As a group, equities research analysts anticipate that Saputo will post 1.8087698 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Saputo Increases Dividend

The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, September 20th. Shareholders of record on Friday, September 20th will be paid a $0.19 dividend. The ex-dividend date is Tuesday, September 10th. This is an increase from Saputo’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.19. This represents a $0.76 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 2.54%. Saputo’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 120.63%.

Insider Activity

In other news, Senior Officer Sindy Saragoca acquired 1,361 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, June 17th. The stock was purchased at an average price of C$29.39 per share, with a total value of C$39,999.79. In other news, Senior Officer Sindy Saragoca purchased 1,361 shares of Saputo stock in a transaction dated Monday, June 17th. The shares were purchased at an average price of C$29.39 per share, with a total value of C$39,999.79. Also, Senior Officer Martin Gagnon acquired 2,000 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, August 20th. The stock was acquired at an average price of C$29.73 per share, for a total transaction of C$59,450.00. In the last quarter, insiders have bought 15,111 shares of company stock valued at $450,474. 42.57% of the stock is currently owned by insiders.

Saputo Company Profile

Saputo Inc produces, markets, and distributes dairy products in Canada, the United States, Argentina, Australia, and the United Kingdom. The company offers cheeses, including mozzarella and cheddar; specialty cheeses, such as ricotta, provolone, blue, parmesan, goat cheese, feta, romano, and havarti; fine cheeses comprising brie and camembert; and other cheeses that include brick, colby, farmer, munster, monterey jack, fresh curd, and processed cheeses.