Two leaders to tap these niche markets

Article Excerpt

Both North West Company and WELL Health are leaders in their respective niche markets. That bodes well for their future prospects and share prices. We see each as a buy. NORTH WEST COMPANY, $38.66, is a buy. This retailer (Toronto symbol NWC; TSINetwork Rating: Extra Risk) (www.northwest.ca; Shares outstanding: 47.6 million; Market cap: $1.8 billion; Dividend yield: 4.0%) sells food, and everyday products and services through 227 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 January 31, 2024, overall sales rose 1.3%, to $643.1 million from $635.2 million a year earlier. Same-store sales rose 1.4% in the quarter compared to last year. Excluding one-time items, earnings in the quarter rose 3.8%, to $39.5 million, or $0.79 a share, from $38.1 million, or $0.77. The long-term outlook for the company and its investors remains positive. That’s especially so for…