Great buy for Loblaw

Article Excerpt

LOBLAW COS. $47.97 (Toronto symbol L; Shares outstanding: 283.0 million; Market cap: $13.6 billion; TSINetwork Rating: Above Average; Dividend yield: 2.0%; www.loblaw.ca) is buying Shoppers Drug Mart (Toronto symbol SC), which operates 1,240 drugstores across Canada. Assuming regulators and Shoppers shareholders approve, Loblaw aims to complete the $12.5-billion purchase in six to seven months. GEORGE WESTON $85.19 (Toronto symbol WN; Shares outstanding: 127.9 million; Market cap: $11.1 billion; TSINetwork Rating: Above Average; Yield: 2.0%; weston.ca) owns 63.1% of Loblaw. It will help it pay for Shoppers by buying $500 million of new shares. After Loblaw completes the purchase, Weston will own 46% of Loblaw. Loblaw will operate Shoppers as a separate chain and does not plan to close any stores. That makes sense, because most Shoppers stores are small outlets in urban areas where there is little overlap with Loblaw’s mainly suburban supermarkets. Shoppers will also keep its own brands and loyalty program. However, combining marketing and distribution should save…