Reitmans keeps cutting

Article Excerpt

REITMANS (CANADA) LTD. $3.70 (Toronto symbol RET.A; TSINetwork Rating: Extra Risk) (514-384-1140; www.reitmans.com; Shares outstanding: 63.3 million; Market cap: $234.2 million; Dividend yield: 5.4%) owns 621 women’s clothing stores across Canada. Those outlets are divided among several brands: Reitmans (265 stores), Penningtons (117), Addition Elle (83), RW & Co. (83), Thyme Maternity (60) and Hyba (13). In the past year, Reitmans closed 34 stores (net of new store openings). As a result, its sales in the five weeks ended January 5, 2019, fell 7.8%. On a same-store basis (which includes e-commerce sales), sales declined 4.6%. The company’s willingness to close unprofitable stores should support its long-term success. However, intense competition in the clothing market means its sales outlook remains uncertain. Reitmans is a hold. hold…