Market leadership has advantages

Article Excerpt

A key factor in determining a company’s Dividend Sustainability Rating is the position it holds in its industry. The market leaders of any industry are strongly placed to fend off new entrants and expand their earnings. That enhances their ability to raise their dividends. Loblaw and Metro are good examples. In the past few years, both have invested in new stores, loyalty programs and computerized inventory systems. Those moves have boosted their profitability, and helped them hang on to customers in the face of strong competition from large U.S. chains such as Wal-Mart and Costco. Moreover, both Loblaw and Metro benefit from continuous, habitual use of their products. While that’s generally true for Consumer stocks, it’s not for those in either Resources or Manufacturing & Industry; they are far more sensitive to the ups and downs of the economic cycle. cycle…