These safety-conscious stocks remain buys

Article Excerpt

METRO INC., $70.10, is a buy. The company (Toronto symbol MRU; Shares o/s: 232.8 million; Market cap: $16.4 billion; TSINetwork Rating: Average; Dividend yield: 1.7%; www.metro.ca) has yet to reach a new contract with the union representing 3,700 workers at its 27 supermarkets in the Greater Toronto Area. The workers recently rejected a tentative agreement that had been negotiated by their union bargaining committee. As a result, they walked off the job on Saturday, July 29. It’s unclear so far how much a new contract will raise Metro’s labour costs. However, the company’s high market share will probably let it raise its selling prices without significantly hurting its current customer traffic and sales. For the fiscal year ending September 30, 2023, Metro’s earnings will probably rise about 13% to $4.33 a share. The stock trades at a reasonable 16.2 times that forecast. As well, with the March 2023 payment, Metro increased your quarterly dividend by 10.0%, The stock yields 1.7%. Metro Inc. remains a buy. POWER CORP., $38.11, is…