Cannabis Corner: Keep an eye on these industry stocks

Article Excerpt

Canada legalized cannabis over four years ago. While demand has been steady, stiff competition has cut selling prices significantly. Meanwhile, advertising restrictions and plain packaging rules make it hard to build brands that win customer loyalty. Still, we think some companies have a distinct edge—including their prospects for added sales in the U.S. as President Joe Biden stirs talk that the federal government could eventually decriminalize cannabis use. Those are the quality stocks we focus on in “Cannabis Corner.” CRONOS GROUP, $2.52 (Toronto symbol CRON; TSINetwork Rating: Speculative) (cronosgroup.com; Shares o/s: 380.8 million; Market cap: $933.0 million; TSI Cannabis Quality Rating [CQR]: ) recently jumped to as high as $3.23 on reports that it was reviewing unsolicited indications of interest from potential buyers. The stock has since moved back down, even though Cronos is reportedly working with a financial adviser; U.S. cannabis company Curaleaf Holdings is also reportedly among the potential buyers. Currently, Cronos is backed by tobacco giant Altria, which owns 41% of its…