Saputo (SAP) to Release Quarterly Earnings on Thursday

Saputo (TSE:SAP - Get Free Report) is scheduled to be releasing its earnings data after the market closes on Thursday, November 7th. Analysts expect the company to announce earnings of C$0.39 per share for the quarter.

Saputo (TSE:SAP - Get Free Report) last released its earnings results on Thursday, August 8th. The company reported C$0.39 earnings per share for the quarter, topping analysts' consensus estimates of C$0.37 by C$0.02. Saputo had a return on equity of 3.72% and a net margin of 1.50%. The company had revenue of C$4.61 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of C$4.44 billion.

Saputo Price Performance

TSE SAP traded down C$0.46 on Thursday, reaching C$26.52. 367,767 shares of the company's stock traded hands, compared to its average volume of 442,619. The stock has a market cap of C$11.25 billion, a PE ratio of 42.83, a P/E/G ratio of 0.56 and a beta of 0.32. Saputo has a 12 month low of C$25.28 and a 12 month high of C$32.15. The stock has a 50-day simple moving average of C$28.98 and a 200 day simple moving average of C$29.00. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 53.17, a current ratio of 1.59 and a quick ratio of 0.67.

Saputo Increases Dividend

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, September 20th. Investors of record on Friday, September 20th were given a $0.19 dividend. This represents a $0.76 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 2.87%. The ex-dividend date was Tuesday, September 10th. This is a boost from Saputo's previous quarterly dividend of $0.19. Saputo's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 120.63%.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

A number of research analysts have recently issued reports on the company. National Bankshares reduced their price objective on Saputo from C$36.00 to C$35.00 and set an "outperform" rating on the stock in a research note on Monday, August 12th. CIBC reduced their price target on Saputo from C$37.00 to C$35.00 and set an "outperform" rating on the stock in a research report on Monday, August 12th. Royal Bank of Canada dropped their price objective on Saputo from C$39.00 to C$38.00 and set an "outperform" rating for the company in a research note on Tuesday. Finally, BMO Capital Markets downgraded shares of Saputo from an "outperform" rating to a "market perform" rating and decreased their target price for the stock from C$35.00 to C$30.00 in a research note on Tuesday, October 15th. One research analyst has rated the stock with a hold rating and six have given a buy rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat, the company currently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average target price of C$34.64.

Insider Buying and Selling

In related news, Senior Officer Carl Colizza acquired 6,800 shares of Saputo stock in a transaction on Tuesday, August 13th. The shares were acquired at an average cost of C$29.43 per share, with a total value of C$200,124.00. In other news, Senior Officer Martin Gagnon bought 2,000 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, August 20th. The stock was bought at an average price of C$29.73 per share, for a total transaction of C$59,450.00. Also, Senior Officer Carl Colizza purchased 6,800 shares of the company's stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, August 13th. The shares were purchased at an average price of C$29.43 per share, for a total transaction of C$200,124.00. 40.45% of the stock is currently owned by insiders.

About Saputo

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.