Topic: How To Invest

The Successful Investor Hotline – Friday, February 21, 2025

Article Excerpt

LOBLAW COMPANIES LTD., $175.89, Toronto symbol L, is a buy. The company operates 1,131 supermarkets under several banners, including Loblaws, Zehrs, Provigo, Real Canadian Superstore and No Frills. In March 2014, it purchased the Shoppers Drug Mart chain for $12.3 billion in cash and shares. Shoppers operates 1,361 drugstores across Canada. Loblaw continues to benefit from its plan to open more discount-price stores, which are helping it attract cost-conscious consumers. In 2024, the company converted 38 of its regular locations to discount outlets. In the quarter ended December 28, 2024, overall sales rose 2.9%, to $14.95 billion from $14.53 billion a year earlier. That matched the consensus forecast. Same-store sales for its supermarkets rose 2.5% from a year earlier, due to higher customer traffic and food selling prices. That offset lower sales of non-food products including clothing, kitchen appliances and furniture. If you factor out the positive impact of the Thanksgiving holiday, same-store sales still improved 1.5%. Shoppers Drug Mart’s overall same-store sales also gained 1.3%…