Two blue-chip stocks: one a buy, one a hold

Article Excerpt

Loblaw and Great-West are leading competitors in their respective markets; look for that to cut your ongoing risk. Still, for now, we see Great-West as a hold, while Loblaw remains a buy. LOBLAW COMPANIES, $117.23, is a buy. The retailer (Toronto symbol L; Shares o/s: 322.7 million; Market cap: $37.6 billion; TSINetwork Rating: Above Average; Divd. yield: 1.4%; www.loblaw.ca), operates 1,098 supermarkets under several banners, including Loblaws, Zehrs, Provigo, Real Canadian Superstore and No Frills. Its Shoppers Drug Mart operates 1,346 drugstores across Canada. Loblaw has increased its selling prices in response to rising costs for food, fuel and other inputs. It’s also benefitting as consumers shift to its discount-price chains and private-label brands. In the quarter ended December 31, 2022, overall sales rose 9.8%, to $14.01 billion from $12.76 billion a year earlier. That topped the consensus forecast of $13.75 billion. Same-store sales for its supermarkets rose 8.4% from a year earlier as both higher prices and customer traffic offset a decline in the average amount spent…