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High Liner FoodsHLF.TOCOMMENTOct 20, 2015Stock price when the opinion was issued
As of Jun 19, 2026. Market Open.
The company is 120 years old and is the leading brand in North America in frozen value added seafood, number 1 in the Canadian retail segment and number 1 in the U.S. food services segment. Eating fish is considered a healthy alternative to eating meats and although Americans are not big fish eaters, there is good growth potential as attitudes may change. It is paying down debt as well as increasing the dividend by 30% and it recently reported record results. Trades at 7X earnings and insiders own 40%, almost unheard of.
He decided to keep the name because the yield is safe and good. It is a touch business. They are doing value added food processing on many types of fish. Margins have been squeezed. He thinks this might be coming to an end. The shrimp farm in Asia looks like it is fixed. The company has value at some point. It is the kind of name that private equity tends to gravitate to. He thinks it should be trading higher, but it is not a momentum name.
This kind of made a tactical error from a business point of view. When costs generally went up, they tried to raise their prices, and were somewhat surprised when consumers disagreed and their sales and earnings slowed down. This stock points up nicely if they keep their current point of view. Looking fairly attractive here at 8X estimated earnings. The upside potential, if those earnings come through, is more than 100%.