Saputo Inc. (TSE:SAP) Given Consensus Recommendation of "Buy" by Analysts

Saputo Inc. (TSE:SAP - Get Free Report) has been given a consensus recommendation of "Buy" by the seven ratings firms that are covering the firm, Marketbeat Ratings reports. Seven equities research analysts have rated the stock with a buy recommendation. The average twelve-month price objective among brokerages that have updated their coverage on the stock in the last year is C$35.79.

SAP has been the subject of a number of recent research reports. Desjardins boosted their target price on Saputo from C$33.00 to C$35.00 and gave the stock a "buy" rating in a research report on Monday, June 10th. BMO Capital Markets upped their price objective on shares of Saputo from C$34.00 to C$35.00 and gave the company an "outperform" rating in a research note on Monday, June 10th. 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 report on Monday, June 10th. National Bankshares boosted their price target on shares of Saputo from C$33.00 to C$35.00 and gave the stock an "outperform" rating in a research note on Monday, June 10th. Finally, Royal Bank of Canada raised their price objective on Saputo from C$36.00 to C$39.00 and gave the company an "outperform" rating in a research note on Tuesday, June 4th.

Insider Activity

In related news, Senior Officer Richard Wallace acquired 4,950 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction on Wednesday, June 26th. The stock was acquired at an average cost of C$30.48 per share, for a total transaction of C$150,899.76. In other news, Senior Officer Sindy Saragoca purchased 1,361 shares of the company's stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, June 17th. The shares were bought at an average cost of C$29.39 per share, for a total transaction of C$39,999.79. Also, Senior Officer Richard Wallace purchased 4,950 shares of Saputo stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, June 26th. The stock was purchased at an average cost of C$30.48 per share, for a total transaction of C$150,899.76. Insiders own 42.11% of the company's stock.

Saputo Price Performance

Shares of TSE SAP traded down C$0.45 during mid-day trading on Friday, reaching C$30.72. 573,206 shares of the company were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 423,314. Saputo has a 52 week low of C$25.28 and a 52 week high of C$31.24. The company's 50 day moving average price is C$28.07 and its 200 day moving average price is C$27.40. The stock has a market capitalization of C$13.04 billion, a PE ratio of 39.38, a PEG ratio of 0.21 and a beta of 0.32. The company has a quick ratio of 0.67, a current ratio of 1.55 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 58.27.

Saputo (TSE:SAP - Get Free Report) last released its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, June 6th. The company reported C$0.37 earnings per share for the quarter, meeting analysts' consensus estimates of C$0.37. Saputo had a return on equity of 4.76% and a net margin of 1.92%. The business had revenue of C$4.55 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of C$4.25 billion. Sell-side analysts forecast that Saputo will post 1.915804 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Saputo Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Wednesday, June 26th. Stockholders of record on Tuesday, June 18th were given a $0.185 dividend. The ex-dividend date was Tuesday, June 18th. This represents a $0.74 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 2.41%. Saputo's dividend payout ratio is currently 94.87%.

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.