Online sales continue to surge

Article Excerpt

CANADIAN TIRE CORP. (class A) is a buy. The retailer (Toronto symbols CTC $265 and CTC.A $202; Conservative Growth Portfolio, Consumer sector; Shares outstanding: 60.8 million; Market cap: $12.5 billion; Price-to-sales ratio: 0.9; Dividend yield: 2.3%; TSINetwork Rating: Above Average; www.canadiantire.ca) has jumped over 60% in the past year as the pandemic spurred strong demand from locked down consumers for home improvement products. Now that the economy is re-opening, the company is enjoying strong sales of sporting equipment. Canadian Tire is also seeing strong sales through its Internet sites—visits to its online platforms doubled in 2020 and should continue to rise in 2021. As well, the company is making it easier for customers to pick up their online purchases at a local store, sometimes within an hour. Even after its big jump, the class A stock still trades at a moderate 12.6 times the company’s likely 2021 earnings of $16.00 a share. The $4.70 dividend yields a solid 2.3%. Canadian Tire…