Canadian retailers with more growth ahead

Article Excerpt

North West Company and Alimentation Couche-Tard not only adapted to the pandemic—they thrived. And that has pushed both stocks to new all-time highs for our subscribers. We think both stocks are well-positioned to keep prospering in their markets, and they have lots of room to move even higher. Both stocks are buys. NORTH WEST COMPANY, $35.68, is a buy. This retailer (Toronto symbol NWC; TSINetwork Rating: Extra Risk) (www.northwest.ca; Shares outstanding: 48.1 million; Market cap: $1.7 billion; Dividend yield: 4.2%) sells food, and everyday products and services through 244 stores. Those locations are mainly in northern communities across Canada and Alaska. Through your shares, you also tap the company’s operations in remote regions of Hawaii, the wider South Pacific and the Caribbean. In the quarter ended October 31, 2021, sales rose slightly, to $553.7 million from $553.0 million a year earlier. Excluding foreign exchange movements, sales increased 2.1%. Last year’s sales benefited from much higher spending by customers in the wake of COVID-19. Same-store sales fell 0.1%…