These niche growth stocks offer solid yields

Article Excerpt

North West Company and Extendicare have strong competitive prospects in their niche markets. In fact, each stock is especially attractive for your new buying right now. NORTH WEST COMPANY, $53.32, is a buy. This retailer (Toronto symbol NWC; TSINetwork Rating: Extra Risk) (www.northwest.ca; Shares outstanding: 47.9 million; Market cap: $2.6 billion; Dividend yield: 3.0%) sells food, and everyday products and services through 227 stores. Those locations are mainly in northern communities across Canada and throughout Alaska. Through your shares, you also tap the company’s operations in remote parts of Hawaii, the wider South Pacific and the Caribbean. North West owns North Star Air Ltd., a Thunder Bay-based airline. North Star provides cargo and passenger services in the following regions of Canada: northwestern Ontario, northern Manitoba and Nunavut. In the quarter ended January 31, 2025, sales rose 4.9%, to $674.9 million from $643.1 million a year earlier. Same-store sales rose 5.4%. Excluding one-time items, earnings in the quarter rose 12.8%, to $44.6 million, or $0.93 a share,…