Lower costs power profits

Article Excerpt

LOBLAW COMPANIES, $99.49, is a buy. The company (Toronto symbol L; Shares outstanding: 333.6 million; Market cap: $32.7 billion; TSINetwork Rating: Above Average; Dividend yield: 1.5%; www.loblaw.ca) saw grocery sales remain strong in the latest quarter as the Omicron variant of COVID-19 prompted consumers to eat meals at home instead of restaurants. COVID-19 vaccine and testing services also spurred results at Shoppers Drug Mart. Loblaw’s overall sales fell 4.0% in the quarter, ended January 1, 2022, to $12.75 billion from $13.29 billion a year earlier. However, if you adjust for an extra week in the year-earlier quarter, sales improved 2.8%. The company also benefited from lower costs related to COVID-19 such as plexiglass barriers. That helped lift per-share earnings by 24.6%, to $1.52 from $1.22. Investors can expect Loblaw to earn $5.99 a share in 2022. The stock, which is up 60% in the past year, trades at a reasonable 16.6 times that estimate. The $1.46 dividend yields 1.5%. Loblaw Cos. is a buy. buy…