Topic: How To Invest

Hello Pat: What is your current recommendation on AutoCanada and Dollarama? Thank you.

Article Excerpt

AutoCanada Inc., $45.30, symbol ACQ on Toronto (Shares outstanding: 21.7 million; Market cap: $981.8 million; www.autocan.ca), has 32 franchised car dealerships in six provinces. It sells numerous brands, including Chrysler, Dodge, Jeep, Ram, Fiat, Chevrolet, GMC, Buick, Infiniti, Nissan, Hyundai, Subaru, Mitsubishi, Audi, and Volkswagen. However, Chrysler vehicles (including Dodge, Jeep, Ram and Fiat) supply nearly 75% of its revenue. The company aims to increase its number of dealerships by 20% over the next two years. To that end, it bought People’s Automotive, a Volkswagen dealership in Grande Prairie, Alberta, for $3.8 million earlier this year. It also paid $23.3 million for two dealerships in Winnipeg that sell Audis and Volkswagens. In addition, AutoCanada bought a large Chrysler dealership in Calgary in May 2013. It did not reveal the purchase price, but this business had $68 million of revenue in 2012. In July 2013, it bought Eastern Chrysler, a dealership in Winnipeg. Thanks to its recent acquisitions and rising automobile demand, AutoCanada’s…