Topic: How To Invest

What do you think of Jean Coutu?

Article Excerpt

Jean Coutu Group, $9.09, symbol PJC.A on Toronto (Shares outstanding: 236 million; Market cap: $2.1 billion), is Canada’s second-largest drugstore chain after Shoppers Drug Mart. The company has 353 franchisee-operated Canadian drugstores under the PJC Jean Coutu, PJC Clinique and PJC Sante Beaute banners. Most of these (327) are in Quebec, 18 are in New Brunswick and eight are in Ontario. Jean Coutu supplies its franchisees with approximately 77% of their inventory through two distribution centres. One of these is in Quebec, and the other is in eastern Ontario. In June 2007, Jean Coutu sold its money-losing U.S. network of 1,854 Brooks and Eckerd stores, located in the eastern U.S., to Rite Aid for $2.3 billion U.S. in cash. As part of the deal, Jean Coutu also received 250 million Rite Aid shares. As a result, it now holds a 28.2% stake in Rite Aid. Rite Aid, $1.30, symbol RAD on New York (Shares outstanding: 885.9 million; Market cap: $1.2 billion), is the…