Top brands and spinoff should spur Leon’s

Article Excerpt

Consumers are spending less on furniture in response to higher interest rates and inflation. However, Leon’s strong brands will help its sales rebound with the economy. Its plan to spin off its real estate holdings as a REIT will also unlock hidden value. LEON’S FURNITURE LTD. $19 is a buy for aggressive investors. The retailer (Toronto symbol LNF; Aggressive Growth Portfolio, Consumer sector; Shares outstanding: 68.0 million; Market cap: $1.3 billion; Price-to-sales ratio: 0.5; Dividend yield: 3.8%; TSINetwork Rating: Average; www.leons.ca) sells furniture and appliances through 303 stores, mainly under the Leon’s and The Brick banners. Franchisees operate 101 (33.3%) of those outlets. Leon’s has built its chain of furniture stores on four main strengths: a huge selection of furniture, appliances and electronics; a lowest price guarantee; strong after-sales service; and aggressive TV, radio and print advertising. The company’s revenue rose 1.9%, from $2.24 billion in 2018 to $2.28 billion in 2019. Revenue then fell 2.8% to $2.22 billion in 2020 as the company had to…