Power moves will spur Couche-Tard

Article Excerpt

Alimentation Couche-Tard not only adapted to the pandemic, it thrived—and the shares are now trading near their recent all-time high. All in all, we think this retailer is well-positioned to keep prospering in both its core and new markets, including by acquisition. We also think the stock can go higher, and recommend it as a Power Buy. ALIMENTATION COUCHE-TARD, $73.93, is a buy. This retailer (Toronto symbol ATD; TSINetwork Rating: Average) (couchetard.com; Shares o/s: 966.1 million; Market cap: $71.4 billion; Divd. yield: 0.8%) has 12,337 convenience stores, mostly in North America and Europe. In the first quarter of fiscal 2024—the three months ended July 23, 2023—Couche-Tard’s revenue fell by 16.3%, to $15.62 billion from $18.66 billion a year earlier (all figures except share price in U.S. dollars). The decline came mostly from lower overall fuel sales. Excluding one-time items, earnings fell 4.2%, to $838.0 million from $875.0 million. Sales of higher-profit-margin convenience offerings partly offset the lower revenue. Per-share earnings rose 1.2%, to $0.86 from $0.85, on fewer…