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

Maple Leaf Foods Inc. (TSE:MFI) has earned an average rating of “Buy” from the six research firms that are covering the company, Marketbeat.com reports. Six research analysts have rated the stock with a buy recommendation. The average 1-year price target among analysts that have issued ratings on the stock in the last year is C$30.36.

MFI has been the topic of several recent research reports. TD Securities cut their target price on Maple Leaf Foods from C$36.00 to C$35.00 in a report on Friday, August 9th. National Bankshares cut their price objective on Maple Leaf Foods from C$29.00 to C$28.00 in a research note on Friday, August 9th. Finally, CIBC decreased their target price on shares of Maple Leaf Foods from C$31.00 to C$30.00 in a research report on Friday, August 9th.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In related news, Senior Officer Jonathan David Sawatzky sold 2,600 shares of the business’s 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 stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, September 10th. The stock was 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 firm’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, August 12th. The shares were sold at an average price of C$22.90, for a total value of C$114,500.00. Company insiders own 39.98% of the company’s stock.

Maple Leaf Foods Stock Up 1.2 %

Shares of TSE MFI opened at C$22.14 on Tuesday. The company has a 50 day simple moving average of C$23.53 and a 200 day simple moving average of C$23.32. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 132.03, a current ratio of 1.32 and a quick ratio of 0.54. Maple Leaf Foods has a 1 year low of C$21.15 and a 1 year high of C$28.15. The firm has a market cap of C$2.73 billion, a PE ratio of 246.00, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 18.07 and a beta of 0.47.

Maple Leaf Foods (TSE:MFI) last released 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 the consensus estimate of C$1.27 billion. On average, research analysts forecast that Maple Leaf Foods will post 1.4969574 EPS for the current year.

Maple Leaf Foods Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, September 27th. Shareholders of record on Friday, September 27th will be paid a $0.22 dividend. This represents a $0.88 annualized dividend and a yield of 3.97%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, September 6th. Maple Leaf Foods’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 977.78%.

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.