Use our updates to enhance your portfolio: Loblaw, Riocan & Finning

Article Excerpt

LOBLAW COMPANIES LTD. $149 is a buy. Canada’s largest food seller (Toronto symbol L; Conservative Growth Portfolio, Consumer sector; Shares outstanding: 316.4 million; Market cap: $47.1 billion; Price-to-sales ratio: 0.8; Dividend yield: 1.2%; TSINetwork Rating: Above Average; www.loblaw.ca) is adding more discount-price stores as customers deal with high inflation and interest rates. In 2024, the company will open 40 new discount stores. It will also expand or relocate another 10 and renovate more than 700 others. As well, Loblaw will open 140 new pharmacy-based clinics this year. That’s in addition to the 70 new clinics it added in 2023. In all, the plan will cost $2 billion. The stock is up 18% in the past year, but it still trades at an attractive 17.6 times the $8.47 a share that Loblaw will probably earn in 2024. The $1.78 dividend yields 1.2%. Loblaw is a buy. RIOCAN REAL ESTATE INVESTMENT TRUST $18 is a buy. The REIT (Toronto symbol REI.UN; Aggressive Growth Portfolio, Manufacturing & Industry sector; Units outstanding: 300.4…