Opinions
David Baskin
High Liner Foods
HLF-T
DON'T BUY
Aug 29, 2018
Stock price when the opinion was issued
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The company is 120 years old and is the leading brand in North America in frozen value added seafood, number 1 in the Canadian retail segment and number 1 in the U.S. food services segment. Eating fish is considered a healthy alternative to eating meats and although Americans are not big fish eaters, there is good growth potential as attitudes may change. It is paying down debt as well as increasing the dividend by 30% and it recently reported record results. Trades at 7X earnings and insiders own 40%, almost unheard of.
#1 supplier to retail channel in Canada, and #1 in US to food services. Sells under own name and private label. Seafood consumption low in NA, huge potential for growth. Revenue growth stalled with consumers cutting back on higher-priced items. In rally mode again. Huge free cashflow, buying back lots of shares, increased divvie by 30%, paying down debt. Dirt cheap at 8x PE. Insiders own 40%. Feels it will be sold down the road.
He held it for 10 years and did very well, but then he unloaded it entirely, starting in February. He didn't see a recovery in its last quarter and sold his remaining shares. Highliner made a distrastrous acqusition and suffered a brutal recall.
Doesn't see a recovery anytime soon.