Maple Leaf Foods (TSE:MFI) Shares Cross Above 200 Day Moving Average - Should You Sell?

Shares of Maple Leaf Foods Inc. (TSE:MFI - Get Free Report) passed above its 200-day moving average during trading on Tuesday . The stock has a 200-day moving average of C$22.88 and traded as high as C$27.00. Maple Leaf Foods shares last traded at C$26.10, with a volume of 449,143 shares trading hands.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

Several research firms have commented on MFI. Scotiabank upgraded shares of Maple Leaf Foods to a "hold" rating in a research report on Tuesday, April 1st. Royal Bank of Canada increased their price objective on shares of Maple Leaf Foods from C$29.00 to C$30.00 and gave the company an "outperform" rating in a report on Wednesday, February 26th. TD Securities lifted their target price on Maple Leaf Foods from C$34.00 to C$38.00 and gave the stock a "buy" rating in a report on Friday, May 9th. CIBC upped their price target on shares of Maple Leaf Foods from C$30.00 to C$32.00 and gave the company an "outperform" rating in a report on Wednesday, February 26th. Finally, National Bankshares boosted their target price on shares of Maple Leaf Foods from C$26.00 to C$27.00 and gave the stock an "outperform" rating in a report on Wednesday, February 26th. One research analyst has rated the stock with a hold rating and five have issued a buy rating to the company. According to MarketBeat.com, Maple Leaf Foods has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average target price of C$31.80.

Maple Leaf Foods Stock Performance

The stock has a market capitalization of C$3.35 billion, a PE ratio of 98.76, a PEG ratio of 18.07 and a beta of 0.47. The company has a current ratio of 1.26, a quick ratio of 0.54 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 130.19. The firm's 50-day simple moving average is C$24.85 and its two-hundred day simple moving average is C$23.01.

Maple Leaf Foods Increases Dividend

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Monday, March 31st. Investors of record on Monday, March 31st were issued a dividend of $0.24 per share. This is a boost from Maple Leaf Foods's previous quarterly dividend of $0.22. This represents a $0.96 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 3.59%. The ex-dividend date was Friday, March 7th. Maple Leaf Foods's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 324.76%.

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.