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Maple Leaf Foods

MFI.TO
49
Packaged Foods · Consumer Defensive
Price
C$26.95
+0.08 (+0.30%)
Market Cap
C$3.36B
Exchange
Toronto Stock Exchange
Winston Score
49
Winston is serious
Mixed quality — meaningful strengths and weaknesses.
Data as of Aug 23, 2026 · filings through Jun 30, 2026
How the score breaks down
Quality
Mixed
Growth
Good
Cash Flow
Mixed
Stability
Good
Valuation
Good
Dividends
Exceptional

Share count rising — dilution

+2.2% over 4y

The company has issued more shares over this period, which dilutes each existing shareholder’s stake.

Diluted shares outstanding: 124.7M (2021) → 127.4M (2025)

Winston Score History

The full picture

Maple Leaf Foods is a Canadian company that makes meat and plant-based protein products sold in grocery stores and restaurants. Its main brands include Maple Leaf, Schneiders, and Lightlife, covering products like bacon, deli meats, hot dogs, and meat-free alternatives. It is one of the largest packaged meat companies in Canada.

The company earns money by selling packaged food products to retailers, foodservice operators, and distributors, primarily across Canada and the United States. Its scale, established brand recognition, and distribution network give it a competitive edge over smaller rivals, though its margins remain thin — a common challenge in the packaged meat industry. The key risk is rising input costs, such as feed and energy prices, which can quickly squeeze profitability when the company cannot pass those costs on to customers fast enough.

Score breakdown

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Quality

Profit per sale
Gross Margin
18.8%
Thin — 18.8% gross margin
Profit after running costs
Operating Margin
8.6%
Modest — 8.6% operating margin
Return on the money invested
ROCE
11.2%
Below par — 11.2% return on capital

ROIC between 5% and 15%. They earn 5 to 15 cents back per year on every dollar invested.

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Growth

Sales growth
Sales YoY
-21.6%
Shrinking sales (-21.6% YoY)
Profit growth
EPS YoY
+191.0%
Earnings growing fast (+191.0% YoY)

Earnings growing 25%+ a year. The compounder zone.

How steady the profit is
EPS Consistency
5/8 quarters
Mixed — about half the quarters showed growth

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Cash Flow

Profit that turns into cash
Cash Conversion
47%
Weak — only 47% of profit becomes cash
Spare cash per sale
FCF Margin
3.2%
Thin free cash flow (3.2%)

FCF margin between 0% and 10%. Some cash from sales, but not a lot.

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Stability

What it owes vs what it owns
Debt / Equity
0.92
Moderate — manageable debt (0.92)
Covers its interest
Interest Cover
4.05x
Adequate interest coverage (4.1x)

Interest coverage between 3 and 8. Profits cover interest several times over.

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Valuation

Price vs profit
P/E Ratio (TTM)
6.4x
Attractive valuation — P/E 6.4

P/E under 10. The price tag is small relative to last year's profit.

Cheaper or dearer next year
P/E vs Forward
-7.4
SLOWING
Earnings expected to fall — forward P/E higher than today

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Dividends

Dividend
Dividend Yield
5.07%
Healthy income — 5.07% yield

Generous yield. Worth checking whether the payout is sustainable.

Dividend record
Dividend Growth
+28.7%
Dividend growing fast (28.7% YoY)

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