Maple Leaf Foods (TSE:MFI) Reaches New 12-Month High - Still a Buy?

Maple Leaf Foods Inc. (TSE:MFI - Get Free Report) shares reached a new 52-week high during mid-day trading on Tuesday . The company traded as high as C$28.49 and last traded at C$28.03, with a volume of 53931 shares changing hands. The stock had previously closed at C$27.34.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

A number of analysts have recently weighed in on the stock. Royal Bank of Canada raised their price target on shares of Maple Leaf Foods from C$29.00 to C$30.00 and gave the stock an "outperform" rating in a research report on Wednesday, February 26th. National Bankshares upped their price objective on Maple Leaf Foods from C$26.00 to C$27.00 and gave the stock an "outperform" rating in a research note on Wednesday, February 26th. CIBC increased their price objective on Maple Leaf Foods from C$30.00 to C$32.00 and gave the stock an "outperform" rating in a report on Wednesday, February 26th. TD Securities upped their target price on Maple Leaf Foods from C$34.00 to C$38.00 and gave the stock a "buy" rating in a research report on Friday, May 9th. Finally, Stifel Canada raised shares of Maple Leaf Foods to a "strong-buy" rating in a research note on Monday. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a hold rating, five have issued a buy rating and one has issued a strong buy rating to the company's stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the company presently has a consensus rating of "Buy" and a consensus price target of C$31.80.

Maple Leaf Foods Stock Down 0.1%

The firm's 50-day simple moving average is C$25.39 and its two-hundred day simple moving average is C$23.44. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 130.19, a quick ratio of 0.54 and a current ratio of 1.26. The stock has a market cap of C$3.47 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 102.45, a PEG ratio of 18.07 and a beta of 0.47.

Maple Leaf Foods Dividend Announcement

The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, June 30th. Stockholders of record on Monday, June 30th will be issued a $0.24 dividend. The ex-dividend date is Friday, June 6th. This represents a $0.96 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 3.46%. Maple Leaf Foods's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 324.76%.

Insider Activity at Maple Leaf Foods

In other Maple Leaf Foods news, Senior Officer Olajumoke Fagbemi sold 3,600 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, May 16th. The stock was sold at an average price of C$26.33, for a total value of C$94,788.00. Following the transaction, the insider now owns 28 shares in the company, valued at approximately C$737.24. This represents a 99.23% decrease in their ownership of the stock. 39.87% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders.

About Maple Leaf Foods

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.