Stockchase Opinions

Brian Madden Maple Leaf Foods MFI-T BUY Jul 07, 2021

Holds it in high regard. Divested and modernized. Expansion into non-meat protein. Earnings are cyclically depressed. Not a barn burner of a growth stock. GDP-esque growth rate. Put in your RRSP. Will do well in the long-term.
$24.740

Stock price when the opinion was issued

food processing
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COMMENT

vs. Loblaw Has exposure to commodity prices so it is a little cyclical. Loblaw is slow growth but stable. MFI is probably getting hit by the coronavirus, but investing in plant-based protein which is promising. He wants to see how this plays out before investing.

BUY ON WEAKNESS
He has a $24.78 model price -- about 20% downward price risk. He is recommending going into the US. He would need to see a sizable pullback in price to consider buying.
BUY
A solid long term hold. You might need to have patience, as they are investing their cashflow into plant based alternative foods that have good long term potential. However, short-term it does not lead to the profitability investors are looking for. Long term dynamics look good once they realize their investment benefits. A defensive stock since people need to eat regardless of the pandemic.
BUY ON WEAKNESS

Billy Kawasaki’s Insights - Billy’s most-liked answers from 5i Research. The stock has shown some weakness recently, but there has been no negative news. The stock is still up year to date and ahead of the tsx average. Unlock Premium - Try 5i Free

TOP PICK
Meat segment has been doing well. Plant segment is a new and emerging area, and is #2 in NA. Trades at a significant discount to peers. Could easily be worth more than $40 a share. Yield is 2.62%. (Analysts’ price target is $35.19)
DON'T BUY
Market didn't like its earnings, and so it's down today. Stumbling. Right sector, but not producing results fast enough for investors. Took on huge debt to expand. Sometimes it's better not to buy a company at the beginning of huge capex. Stay away right now.
PAST TOP PICK
(A Top Pick Mar 17/20, Down 6%) Plant-based area has earned a lot of attention. Unfairly penalized for the slower ramp up of meat alternatives. Trades at only 7x EBITDA, without the plant-based component. If the plant-based sector was spun out, share price would easily be over $40. Be patient, a ton of value, core business is strong.
DON'T BUY
Meat processing business that relied on M&A in the past. Experiencing additional costs with inflation etc. People trading down to lower cost proteins. Does not own shares. Plant based protein business also suffering.
DON'T BUY

She's anticipating economic weakness, hesitant even on the consumer staples space. Consumers in Canada have seen a lot of price increases in the last 24 months; spending same $$, but taking home less. Questions ability to continue to pass on those price increases.