Topic: Dividend Stocks

METRO INC. $58 – Toronto symbol MRU

METRO INC. $58 (Toronto symbol MRU; Aggressive Growth Portfolio, Consumer sector; Shares outstanding: 97.1 million; Market cap: $5.6 billion; Price-to-sales ratio: 0.5; Dividend yield: 1.5%; TSINetwork Rating: Average; www.metro.ca) continues to benefit from its October 2011 purchase of a 55% stake in Marché Adonis, which sells Mediterranean-style foods through five stores in Quebec. It also distributes foods to other retailers through warehouses in Montreal and Toronto.

In its fiscal 2012 third quarter, which ended July 2, 2012, Metro’s sales rose 3.8%, to $3.7 billion from $3.6 billion a year earlier. Marché added $81.3 million to Metro’s sales in the latest quarter. A new loyalty rewards program in Quebec and the company’s focus on fresh products are also encouraging repeat visits. Same-store sales rose 1.0% at its 600 supermarkets in Quebec and Ontario.

The higher sales helped increase Metro’s earnings by 16.0%, to $147.4 million from $127.1 million. Earnings per share rose 18.7%, to $1.46 from $1.23, on fewer shares outstanding.

Metro will probably earn $4.56 a share in fiscal 2012, and the stock trades at 12.7 times that estimate. The $0.86 dividend yields 1.5%.

Metro is a buy.

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