Maple Leaf Foods (TSE:MFI) Stock Price Crosses Above 200 Day Moving Average - Time to Sell?

Key Points

• Technical signal: Maple Leaf Foods shares crossed above their 200‑day moving average (200‑day SMA C$27.03), trading as high as C$30.03 and last at C$28.69 on volume of 335,621.
• Analyst sentiment: The consensus rating is "Buy" with an average target price of C$35.00 after multiple upgrades and raised targets in recent months.
• Fundamentals and payout: The company shows a low P/E of 6.75, strong ROE (35.43%) and net margin (11.76%), and has increased its quarterly dividend to C$0.21 (annualized C$0.84, yield ~2.9%).

Maple Leaf Foods Inc. (TSE:MFI - Get Free Report) shares passed above its two hundred day moving average during trading on Wednesday . The stock has a two hundred day moving average of C$27.03 and traded as high as C$30.03. Maple Leaf Foods shares last traded at C$28.69, with a volume of 335,621 shares traded.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

A number of equities analysts have issued reports on the company. Ventum Financial set a C$37.00 price target on Maple Leaf Foods and gave the company a "buy" rating in a research note on Wednesday, April 22nd. National Bank Financial increased their price objective on Maple Leaf Foods from C$34.00 to C$35.00 and gave the stock an "outperform" rating in a research note on Friday, April 17th. Stifel Nicolaus raised their target price on Maple Leaf Foods from C$32.00 to C$35.00 and gave the company a "buy" rating in a report on Friday, March 6th. Finally, Scotiabank upgraded Maple Leaf Foods from a "hold" rating to a "strong-buy" rating in a report on Wednesday, March 11th. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating and six have issued a Buy rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat, Maple Leaf Foods currently has a consensus rating of "Buy" and an average target price of C$35.00.

Maple Leaf Foods Stock Performance

The company's 50-day simple moving average is C$29.16 and its 200 day simple moving average is C$27.03. The stock has a market cap of C$3.57 billion, a P/E ratio of 6.75, a PEG ratio of 18.07 and a beta of 0.47. The company has a current ratio of 1.29, a quick ratio of 0.54 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 93.30.

Maple Leaf Foods (TSE:MFI - Get Free Report) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, March 5th. The company reported C$0.32 EPS for the quarter. Maple Leaf Foods had a return on equity of 35.43% and a net margin of 11.76%.The company had revenue of C$991.24 million during the quarter. As a group, sell-side analysts expect that Maple Leaf Foods Inc. will post 1.4334187 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Maple Leaf Foods Increases Dividend

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Tuesday, March 31st. Investors of record on Tuesday, March 31st were issued a $0.21 dividend. This is an increase from Maple Leaf Foods's previous quarterly dividend of $0.19. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Monday, March 9th. This represents a $0.84 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 2.9%. Maple Leaf Foods's payout ratio is presently 21.41%.

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. 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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