Topic: How To Invest

Q: Hey, Pat. Thanks for all the good advice! It has kept me out of a couple of bad stocks. What do you think about Primo Water? Thanks again.

Article Excerpt

A: Primo Water Corp., $30.83, symbol PRMW on Toronto (Shares outstanding: 160.0 million; Market cap: $5.0 billion; www.primowatercorp.com), is a North America-focused water provider that operates in the large-format category, which is defined as three gallons or greater. The company compares its business to selling razors and razorblades. A razor company sells you a razor handle, so you keep returning to the company to buy the razorblades. In Primo’s case, the razor handle is its water dispensers, which are sold through about 10,900 retail locations and online. The dispensers are sold to households and businesses, which then buy the company’s other water offerings through three business segments. The Water Direct business segment delivers water products, including filled water bottles, direct to customers, whether at home or to businesses. Through the Water Exchange business, customers visit one of the segment’s approximately 17,500 retail locations and buy a pre-filled bottle of water. Once consumed, empty bottles are exchanged in return for a ticket that offers a..