Saputo (TSE:SAP) Shares Down 7.2%

Saputo Inc. (TSE:SAP) dropped 7.2% on Friday . The company traded as low as C$26.81 and last traded at C$26.95. Approximately 97,252 shares traded hands during mid-day trading, a decline of 79% from the average daily volume of 455,432 shares. The stock had previously closed at C$29.05.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

SAP has been the subject of a number of research reports. National Bankshares dropped their price objective on Saputo from C$37.00 to C$36.00 in a research note on Monday, August 14th. Scotiabank decreased their target price on Saputo from C$35.00 to C$33.00 and set a “sector perform” rating for the company in a report on Monday, July 24th. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, one has issued a hold rating and four have issued a buy rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat, the stock presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of C$36.88.

Saputo Stock Performance

The stock has a market capitalization of C$11.56 billion, a PE ratio of 18.48, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 0.21 and a beta of 0.39. The stock has a fifty day moving average of C$28.25 and a 200-day moving average of C$30.01. The company has a quick ratio of 0.67, a current ratio of 1.64 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 57.68.

Saputo (TSE:SAP) last released its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, August 10th. The company reported C$0.36 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of C$0.34 by C$0.02. The business had revenue of C$4.21 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of C$4.47 billion. Saputo had a return on equity of 9.15% and a net margin of 3.52%. Equities analysts anticipate that Saputo Inc. will post 1.7892126 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Saputo Announces Dividend

The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, December 15th. Stockholders of record on Tuesday, December 5th will be given a dividend of $0.185 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Monday, December 4th. This represents a $0.74 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 2.71%. Saputo’s dividend payout ratio is currently 50.00%.

Insider Transactions at Saputo

In other news, Director Anna Lisa King sold 2,000 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction dated Thursday, August 24th. The stock was sold at an average price of C$28.35, for a total transaction of C$56,692.00. In other news, Director Joe Marsilii bought 5,000 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, August 17th. The stock was purchased at an average cost of C$27.94 per share, with a total value of C$139,700.00. Also, Director Anna Lisa King sold 2,000 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction dated Thursday, August 24th. The shares were sold at an average price of C$28.35, for a total value of C$56,692.00. Insiders own 42.28% of the company’s stock.

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.