Stockchase Opinions

Hap (Robert) Sneddon FCSI Interfor Corp IFP-T WATCH Oct 09, 2024

Spike today might be due to US hurricane.

Whole sector can be volatile. Nice run since July, when homebuilders picked up substantially. Getting above $19 was significant. Big spike today. Don't want to see it break below $15. Will have trouble between $22-25, so might spend some time there chewing through the supply (as people get out to get their money back).

$20.640

Stock price when the opinion was issued

west coast forestry
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BUY
Super cheap at 2x earnings, forecast 6x next year. In short term, lumber prices under pressure. Economic storm clouds ahead. Entire sector really cheap, but really good balance sheets. Just need stabilization in prices and a hint of an uptick, and these stocks will do well. Allowable cut in BC has gone down, so IFP mainly in Atlantic Canada and Eastern US.
DON'T BUY
Lumber went on a moon shot in the first couple of months of Covid. Housing starts are rolling over. As lumber goes, so goes the stock. Buy when it's at a fraction of book value and the chart's collapsed. Not timely.
RISKY
Trevor Rose’s Insights - Trevor’s most-liked answers from 5i Research

If IFP can meet earnings estimates it is very cheap. Debt is still higher than most, but in a rally investors tend to ignore debt. Thus it can be a good trader. Fires can be both good and bad for the industry. Impacted companies of course can be hurt, but prices can also rise if a wide area is affected by fire. But this can be short-lived, as salvage logs can hit the market shortly after a fire. In 2021's fires, IFP had a net positive impact but its was very short term. 
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HOLD

Demand for lumber will continue to increase.
Short term weakness in housing (recession) not a concern for long term investors.
Expecting performance for long term investors. 

DON'T BUY

Wood products sector doing well, but IFP not performing. Better names in the sector to own. Would not recommend buying. 

BUY

TOL is one of the biggest homebuilders in the US, and a leading indicator. When it starts to go, as it has in the last few days, it's usually good for the lumber stocks.

WEAK BUY

Homebuilding stocks in the US have been going straight up, but Canadian forestry stocks have been going the other way. WFG has done the best in holding its share price.

IFP and CFP have really started to bottom on the charts. He hasn't done enough digging to know who has a better earnings profile. But looking at the charts, one of these might be a good bet to catch up to WFG and to the US homebuilders. Lower interest rates will have an impact as well.

COMMENT

BC softwood has always been a target of tariffs. This group has been expanding operation in the US to lessen the impact. IFP has the highest percentage of production in the US. Contrary to Trump, Americans indeed need Canadian lumber -- 23% of it comes from B.C. Tariffs will make lumber more expensive to Americans, though American lumber companies will make more money.

Unspecified

It has a higher level of production in the U.S. so would be less affected by tariffs than other Canadian lumber companies. The U.S. needs Canadian lumber and one quarter of production from B.C. goes to the U.S., -  but lumber is still needed for B.C.