
TSE:L
This summary was created by AI, based on 15 opinions in the last 12 months.
Loblaw Companies Ltd. is Canada's leading food and drug retailer, effectively navigating challenges posed by inflation and competition. Analysts commend its strategic focus on discount formats like No Frills and the strong performance of its private labels, particularly the No Name brand. The acquisition of Shoppers Drug Mart has proven beneficial, generating robust free cash flow, and establishing a solid market position with organic growth prospects. While some experts express concerns about its current valuation being high, the company remains a reliable defensive choice in uncertain economic times. Overall, experts acknowledge its significant market share, operational efficiencies, and impressive revenue growth despite mixed sentiment regarding its valuation relative to competitors.
(A Top Pick Jul 10/19, Up 6%) Relatively defensive with food and pharma. Nice defensive stock to own in this environment. Pantry loading with Covid, but they also have higher costs with protection equipment and higher labour costs. Leader in online grocery. The trading discount from Metro should narrow over time.
Are grocers safe? Yes, during this stay at home phase. Loblaw trades at 16x forward PE with a 7% growth rate. It's low beta at half the volatility of the TSX. Q2 will probably be good in terms of revenues. But he's concerned with their private label segment has required a lot of investment. Also, Loblaw is highly unionized and faces wage pressure. He prefers Metro a bit for its better valuation.
Food retailing is defensive. Unlike Empire, Loblaw owns Shoppers which gives it an edge. Loblaw is expanding their health business, entering digital health with a new acquisition. The locations of both Loblaw and SDM are great and boast a 30% market share. People are becoming comfortable using online medical services, a trend that will continue across North America long term. The growth rate in their click-and-collect and grocery delivery may not be that strong, but will continue to rise. Trades at 14x forward earnings, reasonable. The dividend is a moderate 2%. Even if we enter high volatility, this sector and stock will be fine. (Analysts’ price target is $80.82)