Maple Leaf Foods Inc. (TSE:MFI) Given Consensus Recommendation of “Buy” by Brokerages

Shares of Maple Leaf Foods Inc. (TSE:MFI) have been given an average recommendation of “Buy” by the six brokerages that are covering the company, MarketBeat Ratings reports. Six analysts have rated the stock with a buy recommendation. The average 1-year target price among analysts that have issued a report on the stock in the last year is C$30.36.

A number of equities research analysts have recently commented on the stock. CIBC reduced their price objective on shares of Maple Leaf Foods from C$31.00 to C$30.00 in a research note on Friday, August 9th. National Bankshares reduced their price objective on shares of Maple Leaf Foods from C$29.00 to C$28.00 in a research note on Friday, August 9th. Finally, TD Securities reduced their price objective on shares of Maple Leaf Foods from C$36.00 to C$35.00 in a research note on Friday, August 9th.

Maple Leaf Foods Trading Down 1.0 %

Shares of TSE MFI opened at C$21.25 on Wednesday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 132.03, a quick ratio of 0.54 and a current ratio of 1.32. Maple Leaf Foods has a 52-week low of C$21.15 and a 52-week high of C$28.08. The firm has a 50 day moving average price of C$22.25 and a two-hundred day moving average price of C$23.15. The stock has a market cap of C$2.62 billion, a P/E ratio of 236.11, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 18.07 and a beta of 0.47.

Maple Leaf Foods (TSE:MFI) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, August 8th. The company reported C$0.18 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of C$0.17 by C$0.01. Maple Leaf Foods had a net margin of 0.24% and a return on equity of 0.75%. The firm had revenue of C$1.26 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of C$1.27 billion. As a group, equities analysts forecast that Maple Leaf Foods will post 1.4334187 EPS for the current year.

Maple Leaf Foods Dividend Announcement

The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, September 27th. Investors of record on Friday, September 27th were paid a dividend of $0.22 per share. This represents a $0.88 annualized dividend and a yield of 4.14%. The ex-dividend date was Friday, September 6th. Maple Leaf Foods’s dividend payout ratio is presently 977.78%.

Insider Buying and Selling

In related news, Senior Officer Jonathan David Sawatzky sold 2,600 shares of the stock in a transaction on Tuesday, September 10th. The shares were sold at an average price of C$21.23, for a total transaction of C$55,198.00. In other Maple Leaf Foods news, Senior Officer Jonathan David Sawatzky sold 2,600 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction on Tuesday, September 10th. The shares were sold at an average price of C$21.23, for a total value of C$55,198.00. Also, Senior Officer Iain William Stewart sold 5,000 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Monday, August 12th. The shares were sold at an average price of C$22.90, for a total transaction of C$114,500.00. 39.87% of the stock is owned by insiders.

About Maple Leaf Foods

Maple Leaf Foods Inc produces food products in the United States, Canada, Japan, China, and internationally. The company operates through Meat Protein Group and Plant Protein Group segments. It produces various food products, including prepared meats, ready-to-cook and ready-to-serve meals, fresh pork and poultry, and plant protein products; bacon, hams, wieners, and meat snacks; a variety of delicatessen products; and processed chicken products, such as fully cooked chicken breasts and wings, processed turkey products, specialty sausages, cooked meats, sliced meats, cooked sausage products, lunch kits, and canned meats.