Stifel Nicolaus Has Lowered Expectations for Maple Leaf Foods (TSE:MFI) Stock Price

Key Points

• Stifel Nicolaus lowered its Maple Leaf Foods price target from C$36 to C$35 but maintained a Buy rating, implying 29.49% potential upside from the previous close.
• Analyst sentiment remains broadly positive: MarketBeat reports a consensus Buy rating and an average price target of C$34.92, with 11 analysts rating the stock Buy or Strong Buy and one rating it Hold.
• Maple Leaf shares traded at C$27.03 on Thursday. The company reported quarterly earnings of C$0.36 per share on C$1.03 billion in revenue.

Maple Leaf Foods (TSE:MFI - Get Free Report) had its price objective cut by investment analysts at Stifel Nicolaus from C$36.00 to C$35.00 in a research report issued to clients and investors on Thursday, BayStreet reports. The firm presently has a "buy" rating on the stock. Stifel Nicolaus's price target points to a potential upside of 29.49% from the stock's previous close.

MFI has been the topic of several other research reports. Scotiabank lowered Maple Leaf Foods from a "sector outperform" rating to a "sector perform" rating and lifted their price target for the stock from C$30.00 to C$33.00 in a research report on Thursday. Canadian Imperial Bank of Commerce set a C$36.00 price objective on Maple Leaf Foods and gave the company an "outperformer" rating in a report on Monday, July 27th. Ventum Capital decreased their price objective on Maple Leaf Foods from C$37.00 to C$35.00 and set a "buy" rating for the company in a report on Wednesday, October 21st. Canaccord Genuity Group lowered their target price on shares of Maple Leaf Foods from C$39.00 to C$37.00 and set a "buy" rating on the stock in a research report on Thursday, August 13th. Finally, Desjardins cut their target price on shares of Maple Leaf Foods from C$36.00 to C$33.00 and set a "buy" rating on the stock in a report on Thursday. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, ten have assigned a Buy rating and one has given a Hold rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company currently has an average rating of "Buy" and a consensus price target of C$34.92.

Maple Leaf Foods Stock Performance

Shares of MFI traded down C$0.25 during midday trading on Thursday, reaching C$27.03. 250,984 shares of the stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 275,544. The business's 50-day moving average price is C$26.02 and its 200 day moving average price is C$28.07. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 97.47, a current ratio of 1.56 and a quick ratio of 0.54. Maple Leaf Foods has a twelve month low of C$23.35 and a twelve month high of C$31.87. The company has a market capitalization of C$3.37 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 6.64, a PEG ratio of 18.07 and a beta of 0.26.

Maple Leaf Foods (TSE:MFI - Get Free Report) last posted its earnings results on Wednesday, November 4th. The company reported C$0.36 earnings per share for the quarter. The business had revenue of C$1.03 billion during the quarter. Maple Leaf Foods had a return on equity of 36.83% and a net margin of 13.08%. On average, sell-side analysts expect that Maple Leaf Foods will post 1.43 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Insider Buying and Selling at Maple Leaf Foods

In related news, Director Andrew Gordon Macdonald purchased 10,000 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, September 4th. The shares were purchased at an average price of C$26.78 per share, with a total value of C$267,800.00. Following the completion of the acquisition, the director directly owned 72,200 shares in the company, valued at C$1,933,516. This represents a 16.08% increase in their position. Company insiders own 39.87% of the company's stock.

About Maple Leaf Foods

Maple Leaf Foods TSX: MFI is a purpose-driven, protein-focused, brand-led consumer packaged goods company headquartered in Mississauga, Ontario. It proudly produces responsibly made, delicious food under powerhouse brands that include Maple Leaf, Maple Leaf Prime, Maple Leaf Natural Selections, Maple Leaf Mighty Protein, Musafir, Schneiders, Mina Halal, Greenfield Natural Meat Co, LightLife, Field Roast, and Yves Veggie Cuisine. Committed to Raising the Good in Food and bringing customers protein with purpose, Maple Leaf Foods delivers shared value for all its stakeholders by leading the way in safety and sustainability, building loved brands, operating with excellence, developing extraordinary talent, and broadening its impact through innovation and geographic reach.

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