Topic: How To Invest

Pat: Your advice on Dollarama: buy or not?

Article Excerpt

Dollarama Inc., $87.60, symbol DOL on Toronto (Shares outstanding: 127.9 million; Market cap: $11.2 billion; www.dollarama.com), is Canada’s leading dollar store operator, with 972 locations across the country. It aims to raise that to 1,200 by 2020. The company has a strong position in a growing niche. It’s reporting rising sales and profits, and it continues to open new stores. In addition, it has an alliance with El Salvadoran chain Dollar City, which gives it exposure to fast-growing Central American economies. Dollarama supplies its products and expertise to Dollar City, which has about 15 stores in El Salvador and aims to expand into neighbouring countries. Dollarama receives a handling fee in return and has an option to buy control of the company beginning in February 2019. In its fiscal 2016 first quarter, which ended May 3, 2015, Dollarama’s sales rose 13.0%, to $566.1 million from $501.1 million a year…