Restructuring Weighs on Loblaw’s Outlook

Article Excerpt

LOBLAW COMPANIES LTD. $45 (Toronto symbol L; Conservative Growth Portfolio, Consumer sector; Shares outstanding: 274.2 million; Market cap: $12.3 billion; SI Rating: Above average) is Canada’s largest food retailer, with over 1,500 stores. Major banners include Loblaw, Fortinos, No Frills, Provigo, and Zehrs Markets. It also supplies independent supermarkets. George Weston Ltd. owns 63% of its common shares. The company is currently in the middle of a multi-year restructuring. This plan aims to cut the amount of non-food merchandise Loblaw carries, and fix distribution problems that have led to shortages at some stores. Loblaw has already recorded $292 million in restructuring costs, and it estimates the plan will cost a further $54 million. But it should cut Loblaw’s annual operating costs by $100 million. In the second quarter ended June 16, 2007, earnings fell 39.4%, to $0.43 a share (total $119 million) from $0.71 a share ($194 million) a year earlier. If you exclude restructuring costs, per-share earnings fell 14.3%, to $0.60…