Ventum Capital Has Lowered Expectations for Maple Leaf Foods (TSE:MFI) Stock Price

Key Points

• Ventum Capital lowered Maple Leaf Foods’ price target from C$37 to C$35 but maintained a “buy” rating, implying approximately 34% upside from the prior close.
• Analysts remain broadly positive, with the stock holding an average “Buy” rating and a consensus price target of C$35.33, despite several recent target-price reductions.
• Maple Leaf Foods shares traded at C$26.13, while a company director purchased 10,000 shares for C$267,800; insiders collectively own nearly 40% of the company.

Maple Leaf Foods (TSE:MFI - Get Free Report) had its target price reduced by investment analysts at Ventum Capital from C$37.00 to C$35.00 in a research note issued on Wednesday, BayStreet reports. The brokerage presently has a "buy" rating on the stock. Ventum Capital's target price points to a potential upside of 33.95% from the company's previous close.

Several other equities analysts have also recently weighed in on the company. Canaccord Genuity Group dropped their price objective on Maple Leaf Foods from C$39.00 to C$37.00 and set a "buy" rating for the company in a report on Thursday, August 13th. Scotiabank cut their target price on Maple Leaf Foods from C$36.00 to C$33.00 and set a "sector outperform" rating for the company in a research report on Thursday, August 13th. Desjardins reduced their target price on Maple Leaf Foods from C$39.00 to C$36.00 and set a "buy" rating on the stock in a report on Wednesday, October 7th. Stifel Nicolaus set a C$36.00 price target on Maple Leaf Foods and gave the company a "buy" rating in a research note on Thursday, July 9th. Finally, Ventum Financial cut their price objective on shares of Maple Leaf Foods from C$39.00 to C$37.00 and set a "buy" rating for the company in a research report on Thursday, August 13th. One research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating and ten have assigned a Buy rating to the company's stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the company currently has an average rating of "Buy" and an average price target of C$35.33.

Maple Leaf Foods Stock Performance

TSE MFI traded up C$0.28 during trading on Wednesday, reaching C$26.13. The company's stock had a trading volume of 91,589 shares, compared to its average volume of 277,447. The firm has a 50 day moving average price of C$26.06 and a 200 day moving average price of C$28.38. Maple Leaf Foods has a 12 month low of C$23.35 and a 12 month high of C$31.87. The firm has a market capitalization of C$3.26 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 6.42, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 18.07 and a beta of 0.26. The company has a current ratio of 1.56, a quick ratio of 0.54 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 97.47.

Maple Leaf Foods (TSE:MFI - Get Free Report) last announced its earnings results on Wednesday, August 12th. The company reported C$0.44 EPS for the quarter. Maple Leaf Foods had a net margin of 13.08% and a return on equity of 36.83%. The company had revenue of C$1.02 billion for the quarter. As a group, equities analysts anticipate that Maple Leaf Foods will post 1.43 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Insider Buying and Selling at Maple Leaf Foods

In other Maple Leaf Foods news, Director Andrew Gordon Macdonald purchased 10,000 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction dated Friday, September 4th. The shares were bought at an average price of C$26.78 per share, for a total transaction of C$267,800.00. Following the purchase, the director owned 72,200 shares in the company, valued at approximately C$1,933,516. This trade represents a 16.08% increase in their position. Corporate insiders own 39.87% of the company's stock.

Maple Leaf Foods Company Profile

Maple Leaf Foods Inc is a consumer-packaged meats company. It produces prepared meats and meals, fresh pork, and poultry and turkey products. The company also has agribusiness operations. These operations supply livestock to the meat products business operations. Its main markets are Canada, the United States, Japan, and China. The key brands are Maple Leaf and Schneiders, Maple Leaf Prime Naturally, Shopsy, Mitchell's Gourmet Food, Larse, Parm, and Hygrade.

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