Topic: How To Invest

Hi Pat: I would like your comments on AutoCanada. Is it worth looking at? Best regards.

Article Excerpt

AutoCanada Inc., $28, symbol ACQ on Toronto (Shares outstanding: 19.9 million; Market cap: $557.2 million; www.autocan.ca), has 30 franchised car dealerships in six provinces. It sells numerous brands, but Chrysler vehicles supply nearly 75% of its revenue. The company aims to increase its number of dealerships by 20% over the next two years. That’s why it recently paid $3.8 million for People’s Automotive, a Volkswagen dealership in Grande Prairie, Alberta. It also paid $23.3 million for two dealerships in Winnipeg that sell Audis and Volkswagens. In addition, AutoCanada recently announced a deal to buy a large Chrysler dealership in Calgary. It did not reveal the purchase price, but this business had $68 million of revenue in 2012. AutoCanada plans to sell $40 million of new shares at $25.00 each to help pay for this purchase. This will increase the number of shares outstanding by 8%. Thanks to recent acquisitions and rising automobile demand, AutoCanada’s revenue rose 14.4% in the three months ended…