Loblaw adds EVs

Article Excerpt

LOBLAW COMPANIES, $149.95, is a buy. The retailer (Toronto symbol L; Shares o/s: 310.0 million; Market cap: $46.4 billion; TSINetwork Rating: Above Average; Dividend yield: 1.2%; www.loblaw.ca) operates 1,104 supermarkets under several banners, including Loblaws, Zehrs, Provigo, Real Canadian Superstore and No Frills. Its Shoppers Drug Mart operates 1,351 drugstores across Canada. Loblaw recently purchased 10 Freightliner eCascadia electric trucks, which increased its total to 14. It has also ordered a total of 25 Semi trucks from Tesla. These purchases are part of the company’s plan to replace its entire trucking fleet with electric vehicles by 2030, which will cut its greenhouse gas emissions and fuel costs. Those savings, along with new stores, should lift Loblaw’s earnings by about 9% to $8.37 a share in 2024. The stock is up 22% in the past year but still trades at an attractive 17.9 times that estimate. The shares yield 1.2%. Loblaw Cos. is a buy. buy…