Cannabis Corner: Keep an eye on these industry stocks

Article Excerpt

Canada legalized cannabis over five years ago. While demand has been steady, stiff competition has cut selling prices significantly. Meanwhile, advertising restrictions and plain packaging rules make it hard to build brands that win customer loyalty. Still, we think some companies have a distinct edge—including their prospects for added sales in the U.S. as President Joe Biden stirs talk that the federal government could eventually decriminalize cannabis use. Those are the quality stocks we focus on in “Cannabis Corner.” CANOPY GROWTH, $0.74 (Toronto symbol WEED; TSINetwork Rating: Speculative) (Shares outstanding: 829.1 million; Market cap: $613.5 million; TSI Cannabis Quality Rating [CQR]: ) has now completed the sale its bankrupt BioSteel Sports Nutrition Inc. unit under the Companies Creditors’ Arrangement Act (CCAA). The sale of the sports drink business was for $30.5 million—and Canopy will use the proceeds to pay down debt. Canopy bought the company in 2019 in a move to diversify its business into drinks, but it failed to compete successfully in…