Alimentation Couche-Tard

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Alimentation Couche-Tard, symbol ATD.B on Toronto, is the largest convenience-store operator in Canada, with over 2,000 outlets. It also has over 3,500 U.S. stores. The Canadian stores operate under the Couche-Tard and Mac’s banners, while the U.S. stores mainly use the Circle K brand. Couche-Tard sells fuel at over 68% of its stores. We analyze Couche-Tard in Stock Pickers Digest, our newsletter that gives you Canadian stock tips for the part of your aggressive investing. In the three months ended April 24, 2011, earnings excluding one-time items rose 19.0%, to $64.0 million, or $0.35 a share. A year earlier, Couche-Tard earned $53.8 million, or $0.30 a share (all figures except share prices in U.S. dollars). The latest earnings beat the consensus estimate of $0.30 a share....

ALIMENTATION COUCHE-TARD $29.73 (Toronto symbol ATD.B: TSINetwork Rating: Extra Risk) (1-800-361-2612; www.couche-tard.com; Shares outstanding: 242.4 million; Market cap: $7.2 billion; Yield: 0.8%) reports that its earnings (excluding one-time items) rose 19.0% in the three months ended April 24, 2011, to $64.0 million, or $0.35 a share. A year earlier, it earned $53.8 million, or $0.30 a share (all figures except share prices in U.S. dollars). Revenue rose 20.9%, to $4.8 billion from $4.0 billion. Same-store sales climbed 3.6% in the U.S., but fell 2.1% in Canada. The company gets 79.3% of its sales from the U.S. Motorists could cut their fuel use in response to sharply higher gasoline prices. That would hurt Couche-Tard’s sales. However, it’s introducing new products with higher profit margins, including new drinks and improved fresh and take-out food....

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ALIMENTATION COUCHE-TARD $26.69 (Toronto symbol ATD.B: TSINetwork Rating: Extra Risk) (1-800-361-2612; www.couchetard.com; Shares outstanding: 242.4 million; Market cap: $6.4 billion; Yield: 0.8%) is the largest convenience-store operator in Canada, with over 2,000 outlets. It also has over 3,500 U.S. stores. The Canadian stores operate under the Couche-Tard and Mac’s banners, while the U.S. stores mainly use the Circle K brand. Couche-Tard sells fuel at over 68% of its stores. In the three months ended January 31, 2011, Couche-Tard’s earnings per share jumped 31%, to $0.38 from $0.29 a year earlier. (All figures except share price and market cap in U.S. dollars.) Sales rose 13.7%, to $5.6 billion from $4.9 billion. Same-store merchandise sales rose 3.9% in the U.S., and 0.4% in Canada. The company gets 77.9% of its sales from the U.S....

ALIMENTATION COUCHE-TARD $25.89 (Toronto symbol ATD.B: TSINetwork Rating: Extra Risk) (1-800-361-2612; www.couche-tard.com; Shares outstanding: 183.6 million; Market cap: $4.8 billion; Dividend yield: 0.8%) reports that its earnings per share rose 31.0% in the three months ended January 30, 2011, to $0.38 from $0.29. Revenue rose 13.7%, to $5.6 billion from $4.9 billion. Same-store merchandise sales climbed 3.9% in the U.S., and 0.4% in Canada. U.S. sales make up 77.9% of total sales. The stock trades at 12.6 times the $2.05 a share that the company will likely earn in 2011....

Alimentation Couche-Tard, symbol ATD.B on Toronto, is the largest convenience store operator in Canada, with over 2,000 outlets. It also has over 3,500 U.S. stores. The Canadian stores operate under the Couche-Tard and Mac’s banners, while the U.S. stores mainly use the Circle K brand. The fuel pumps at most of the Canadian stock’s stores provide 68.0% of the company’s sales. In the three months ended January 30, 2011, Couche-Tard’s earnings rose 29.6%, to $71.0 million, or $0.38 a share, from $54.8 million, or $0.29 a share, a year earlier (all figures except share prices in U.S. dollars). The latest earnings beat the consensus earnings forecast of $0.37 a share. The Canadian stock’s revenue rose 13.7%, to $5.6 billion from $4.9 billion. Same-store merchandise sales climbed 3.9% in the U.S., and 0.4% in Canada. U.S. sales make up 77.9% of total sales. Revenue from gasoline and diesel fuel rose 18.5%, mainly due to rising prices. The company also installed fuel pumps at more of its outlets....

ALIMENTATION COUCHE-TARD, $25.54, symbol ATD.B on Toronto, is the largest convenience store operator in Canada, with over 2,000 outlets. It also has over 3,500 U.S. stores. The Canadian stores operate under the Couche-Tard and Mac’s banners, while the U.S. stores mainly use the Circle K brand. The fuel pumps at most stores provide 68% of the company’s sales. In the three months ended January 30, 2011, Couche-Tard’s earnings rose 29.6%, to $71.0 million, or $0.38 a share, from $54.8 million, or $0.29 a share, a year earlier (all figures except share prices in U.S. dollars). The latest earnings beat the consensus estimate of $0.37 a share. Revenue rose 13.7%, to $5.6 billion from $4.9 billion. Same-store merchandise sales climbed 3.9% in the U.S., and 0.4% in Canada. U.S. sales make up 77.9% of total sales....

ALIMENTATION COUCHE-TARD $30.76 (Toronto symbol ATD.B: TSINetwork Rating: Extra Risk) (1-800-361-2612; www.couche-tard.com; Shares outstanding: 242.4 million; Market cap: $7.5 billion; Dividend yield: 1.0%) is the largest convenience-store operator in Canada, with over 2,000 outlets. It also has over 3,900 U.S. stores. The Canadian stores operate under the Couche-Tard and Mac’s banners, while the U.S. stores mainly use the Circle K brand. Couche-Tard sells fuel at over 68% of its stores.

In the quarter ended October 9, 2011, Couche-Tard’s earnings per share rose 6.9%, to $0.62 from $0.58 a year earlier (all figures except share price and market cap in U.S. dollars).

Sales rose 24.1%, to $5.2 billion from $4.1 billion. The gains came from higher fuel prices, the stronger Canadian dollar and higher merchandise sales. The company gets 30% of its sales by selling merchandise.

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