This retailer keeps adding value for investors

Article Excerpt

Canadian Tire faces the same kind of competition from online sellers that other brick-and-mortar retailers do. Still, its investors continue to thrive. That’s partly because the company has diversified beyond its main stores. In fact, thanks to extra earnings from those new operations, it has just announced its 16th dividend hike for investors since 2004. CANADIAN TIRE CORP. $155 is a buy for income investors. This Canadian icon (Toronto symbol CTC.A; Conservative Growth Payer Portfolio, Consumer sector; Shares o/s: 61.6 million; Market cap: $9.5 billion; Dividend yield: 2.9%; Divd. Sustainability Rating: Highest; www.canadiantire.ca) generates earnings from 504 Canadian Tire stores. They sell automotive parts and services, and household and sporting goods. Franchisees run most locations. The company’s other operations include 296 gas stations, 101 PartSource (auto parts) outlets, 381 Mark’s stores (casual clothing) and 403 SportChek, Sports Experts and Atmosphere (athletic shoes and clothing) stores. Canadian Tire now plans to increase its quarterly dividend by an impressive 9.6%. With the March 2020 payment, investors will receive $1.1375…