Upgrades bolster retailer’s outlook

Article Excerpt

Shares in Canadian Tire remain attractively priced in relation to the company’s projected earnings. Moreover, it buys most of its merchandise in U.S. dollars, so a recent rise in the Canadian dollar should expand its profit margins. Still, traditional retailers face long-term challenges as shoppers go online to buy goods instead of heading to brick-and-mortar stores. That said, we feel the company’s strong market share and recent store and website upgrades will help it compete in this and future markets. CANADIAN TIRE CORP. (Toronto symbols CTC $229 and CTC.A $157; Conservative Growth Portfolio, Consumer sector; Shares outstanding: 68.5 million; Market cap: $10.8 billion; Price-to-sales ratio: 0.8; Dividend yield: 1.7%; TSINetwork Rating: Above Average; www.canadiantire.ca) owns 501 Canadian Tire stores across Canada. They sell automotive, household and sporting goods. Franchisees run most of the outlets. The company’s other operations include 297 gas stations and 91 PartSource auto parts stores. Over the past few years, Canadian Tire has diversified its operations with acquisitions of…