Loblaw hits a new high

Article Excerpt

LOBLAW COMPANIES, $161.79, is a buy. The retailer (Toronto symbol L; Shares outstanding: 306.0 million; Market cap: $49.5 billion; TSINetwork Rating: Above Average; Dividend yield: 1.3%; www.loblaw.ca) has gained about 35% in the past year, and recently hit a new all-time high of $164.94. Loblaw keeps innovating to maintain its growth. For instance, the company has opened a new No Frills supermarket in downtown Toronto that is about one-third the size of a regular store. It plans to open several more of these stores in urban areas over the next few months. These smaller-size stores will help Loblaw take advantage of rising consumer interest in discount-price chains as they cope with higher interest rates and inflation. In all, the company plans to spend $2 billion in 2024 on new stores and other improvements. Loblaw Cos. is a buy. buy…