Topic: How To Invest

Pat: What do you think about Rona Inc.?

Article Excerpt

Rona Inc., $15.43, symbol RON on Toronto (Shares outstanding: 132.2 million; Market cap: $2.0 billion), is the largest Canadian distributor and retailer of hardware, home-renovation and gardening products. Rona operates a network of about 700 stores of various sizes and formats. Franchisees own some of these outlets. The company also operates 40 stores that are geared to commercial customers, particularly contractors. Rona supplies all of its stores through its own network, which consists of nine distribution centres across Canada. Rona first sold shares to the public for $6.90, and began trading on Toronto in October 2002. The company’s revenue more than doubled, from $2.3 billion in 2002 to $4.8 billion in 2009. Earnings grew 114.3% over the same period, to $1.20 a share in 2009 from $0.56 in 2002 (adjusted for a 2-for-1 split in 2005). This rapid growth came in part from acquisitions. In 2003, Rona bought Réno-Dépôt, which consisted of 20 big-box stores, for $371 million. In 2005, it…