Updates on Loblaw Companies and Torstar

Article Excerpt

LOBLAW COMPANIES $32.04 (Toronto symbol L; SI Rating: Above average) is Canada’s largest food seller, with about 1,500 stores under the Loblaws, Fortinos, No Frills, Provigo and Zehrs banners. It also distributes groceries to other stores. George Weston Ltd. owns 63% of Loblaw’s shares. The company is currently in the middle of a multi-year restructuring. This plan aims to cut the amount of non-food merchandise Loblaw carries, fix distribution problems that have led to shortages at some stores, and cut operating costs. Loblaw’s sales rose 1.4% in the three months ended October 6, 2007, to $9.14 billion from $9.01 billion. Excluding one-time reorganization and restructuring charges, per share earnings fell 37.8%, to $0.56 from $0.90. The company cut prices on certain items to spur sales, but that lowered its profit margin to 2.7% from 4.4% a year earlier. Besides cost cutting, Loblaw aims to spur growth by re-modeling its stores. For example, it’s currently testing a new format with more freezer space to…