We now have two ‘airline’ picks

Article Excerpt

Retailer North West Co. recently acquired a small regional airline. In addition to revenue from passengers, the purchase will help it move goods to its stores in northern Canada. Meantime, our other airline stock—WestJet— continues to benefit from its recent expansion plan. NORTH WEST CO. $30 (Toronto symbol NWC; HighGrowth Payer Portfolio, Consumer sector; Shares o/s: 48.7 million; Market cap: $1.5 billion; Dividend yield: 4.3%; Dividend Sustainability Rating: Above Average; www. northwest.ca) sells food, and everyday products at 231 stores. They’re mainly in northern communities across Canada and Alaska. The company also operates in remote regions of Hawaii, the South Pacific and the Caribbean. With the April 2017, payment, the company raised its quarterly dividend by 3.2% to $0.32 per share from $0.31. The new annual rate of $1.28 yields a high 4.3%. North West recently acquired North Star Air, a Thunder Bay-based airline, providing cargo and passenger services within northwestern Ontario. The purchase price was $31 million. As well, North West plans…