Canadian Companies – Brands on the Decline; Where We Don’t Like to Shop (2019)

According to a national survey, Canadians have favourite stores that they trust and admire. We made a list of these companies.

On the other hand, there are some companies that Canadians don’t like or don’t trust. These companies might suffer from bad publicity or have business practices that are not viewed favourably by Canadians. Having a positive reputation is important to have a reputed and thriving company. Here are the companies that Canadians don’t like to shop at:

Pfizer Inc (PFE-N)
The epipen shortage and general distrust of pharma-companies have hit their reputation among Canadians. The news of overcharging for epipens in the US was particularly poorly received and criticized. However, Pfizer remains one of the largest pharmaceutical company in the world. The health sector generally outperform during bear markets so this is a safe large cap pick for those worried about a recession.

Pfizer Inc (PFE-N) — Stockchase

Healthcare in general has outperformed in every bear market. A lot of it comes from large cap pharma companies. He prefers LLY-N. But there is no question that this one is interesting and has good management.

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Telus Corp (T-T)
Canadians have a poor view of Telus’ onboarding discounts on plans that expire. There is general sentiments against the telecommunications sector in Canada, as they are seen as an oligopoly that lacks competition. The company itself is very well managed and they’ve done well. They pay a nice dividend.

Telus Corp (T-T) — Stockchase

Though near its all-time high, you could still open a position today. Most recent quarter they reaffirmed dividend growth rate of 7-10% for next 3 years. Payout ratio is expected to go down. Free cash flow is expected to double over the next 3 years. The stock probably has some upside.

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Cascades Inc (CAS-T)
They’ve done poorly last year as there are worries over the economy, and this company follows it. They produce 100% recyclable paper and packaging. Their facilities have begun using sustainability as credibility, but it seems it hasn’t quite penetrated the Canadian consumer’s radar.

Cascades Inc (CAS-T) — Stockchase

This company has two parts: Containerboard and tissue. Both are cyclical businesses. Containerboard depends on economic activity: the more activity, the more boxes are needed. That industry is looking better, partially because of what is happening in the wood industry. In contrast, there is overcapacity of tissue in North America. Buying Cascades now buys tissue…

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Starbucks (SBUX-Q)
The famed coffee chain was among the companies who placed at the bottom of the ranking list. They’ve been facing increasing competition, especially from McDonald’s. They’ve been innovative and is still a phenomenal company. They are moving into China, although it hasn’t yet panned out.

Starbucks (SBUX-Q) — Stockchase

It has always been too expensive for him. Maybe they have built out too many stores, but it has had a hard time continuing to justify valuations.

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Lowes Companies Inc. (LOW-N)
Loews’ purchase of Rona was poorly received, especially in Quebec. It seems that Home Depot (HD-N) has the upper hand to attract Canadians. However, they occupy half the home improvement market and have good cash flow. Their management is strong and they do not carry the premium valuation of Home Depot (HD-N).

Lowes Companies Inc. (LOW-N) — Stockchase

This one is coming on and improving their operations. They expanded their presence in Canada by buying Rona. They are in Canada, Mexico and the US. As millennials move out of parents’ basements, this stock should do well.

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Reitmans (Canada) Ltd. (A) (RET.A-T)
A large mall based retailer specializing in women’s apparel. A well run company in a sector people hate. There have been difficulties in the retail space in general, but they are one of the few who have done alright. They pay a good dividend of $0.05 a quarter which should be safe as they are making money and have no debt.

Reitmans (Canada) Ltd. (A) (RET.A-T) — Stockchase

Lost $16.5 million last quarter. A big part of that was that they source a lot of their goods in the US, and have to sell them in Canada. When the Cdn$ got killed, that cost them a lot of money. The Cdn$ is coming back to some degree which will help. This past quarter…

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