Some of the most interesting (and profitable) investments stem from businesses that we interact with on a daily basis. Many of these businesses provide a service to us that we take for granted, and it’s that sense of necessity that makes some of those businesses great investment options.
An example of this is your local grocery store. Grocers are interesting investment options in that they perform a necessary service to us, much like a utility does, but unlike a utility bill, most of us enjoy buying groceries.
Today, let’s take a look at Loblaw(TSX:L) and Metro(TSX:MRU) to determine which grocer is the better fit for your portfolio.
The case for Loblaw
Loblaw is the larger of the two grocers, with a network of over 2,000 locations across Canada, including over 1,300 Shoppers Drug mart locations, Shoppers is the largest pharmacy in Canada and has benefited from the cross-selling of Loblaw-branded products in its stores in recent years.
Speaking of brands, Loblaw benefits from owning some of the most well-known brands, including President’s Choice and Life Brand. The company has also branched out into other areas in recent years, including offering financial services through its PC Financial arm and its clothing line Joe Fresh.
The most recent quarterly results are for the fourth quarter of 2019, announced earlier this year. In that quarter, Loblaw reported revenue of $11,590, reflecting an increase of 3.3%, or $372 million over the same period last year. Both the food and drug retail segments saw growth of 1.9% and 3.9%, respectively.
Adjusted EBITDA came in at $1,205 million, reflecting a $310 million, or 34.6% improvement over the same quarter in fiscal 2018.
In terms of a dividend, Loblaw offers investors a quarterly payout that works out to a 1.78% yield, which probably won’t resonate with investors looking for a dividend stock. The flip side of that argument is that Loblaw is a defensive investment in that people continue to buy their groceries irrespective of the economy, and Loblaw has hiked the dividend on a nearly annual basis for several years.
At time of writing, Loblaw trades at $69.50 with a P/E of 24.91.
The case for Metro
With a network of 950 food stores and 650 pharmacy locations, Metro is the smaller of the two companies. Unlike Loblaw’s presence across most of the country, Metro’s footprint is limited to Quebec and parts of Ontario.
In terms of results, the most recent available results are for the first quarter of 2020, which were released in December of 2019. During that quarter, Metro reported sales of $4,029.8 million, reflecting an increase of 1.3% over the prior year. Similar to Loblaw, much of that growth stemmed from the pharmacy segment, which saw same-store sales surge 3.6% in the quarter. Across Metro’s food segment the company saw same-store sales increase by 1.4%.
Adjusted net earnings for the quarter came in at $180.9 million, up 5.1% over the same period last year. Metro also announced a hike to its dividend in the amount of 12.5%, reflecting a payout range of 30-40% of the adjusted net earnings of the prior year. Metro’s dividend currently works out to a 1.45% yield.
Metro currently trades at just over $55 with a P/E of 20.75.
The better investment
Both Metro and Loblaw make compelling investment cases. Both have growing networks of stores, and both offer a complementary pharmacy network that benefits from cross-selling and easier access to new markets.
That being said, in my opinion, Loblaw is a better investment at the moment. Loblaw’s larger more diversified network of stores lends itself to a larger market of customers, with more growth potential.
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TORONTO – Canada’s main stock index was down more than 200 points in late-morning trading, weighed down by losses in the technology, base metal and energy sectors, while U.S. stock markets also fell.
The S&P/TSX composite index was down 239.24 points at 22,749.04.
In New York, the Dow Jones industrial average was down 312.36 points at 40,443.39. The S&P 500 index was down 80.94 points at 5,422.47, while the Nasdaq composite was down 380.17 points at 16,747.49.
The Canadian dollar traded for 73.80 cents US compared with 74.00 cents US on Thursday.
The October crude oil contract was down US$1.07 at US$68.08 per barrel and the October natural gas contract was up less than a penny at US$2.26 per mmBTU.
The December gold contract was down US$2.10 at US$2,541.00 an ounce and the December copper contract was down four cents at US$4.10 a pound.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 6, 2024.
TORONTO – Canada’s main stock index was up more than 150 points in late-morning trading, helped by strength in technology, financial and energy stocks, while U.S. stock markets also pushed higher.
The S&P/TSX composite index was up 171.41 points at 23,298.39.
In New York, the Dow Jones industrial average was up 278.37 points at 41,369.79. The S&P 500 index was up 38.17 points at 5,630.35, while the Nasdaq composite was up 177.15 points at 17,733.18.
The Canadian dollar traded for 74.19 cents US compared with 74.23 cents US on Wednesday.
The October crude oil contract was up US$1.75 at US$76.27 per barrel and the October natural gas contract was up less than a penny at US$2.10 per mmBTU.
The December gold contract was up US$18.70 at US$2,556.50 an ounce and the December copper contract was down less than a penny at US$4.22 a pound.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Aug. 29, 2024.
The crypto market has recently experienced a significant downturn, mirroring broader risk asset sell-offs. Over the past week, Bitcoin’s price dropped by 24%, reaching $53,000, while Ethereum plummeted nearly a third to $2,340. Major altcoins also suffered, with Cardano down 27.7%, Solana 36.2%, Dogecoin 34.6%, XRP 23.1%, Shiba Inu 30.1%, and BNB 25.7%.
The severe downturn in the crypto market appears to be part of a broader flight to safety, triggered by disappointing economic data. A worse-than-expected unemployment report on Friday marked the beginning of a technical recession, as defined by the Sahm Rule. This rule identifies a recession when the three-month average unemployment rate rises by at least half a percentage point from its lowest point in the past year.
Friday’s figures met this threshold, signaling an abrupt economic downshift. Consequently, investors sought safer assets, leading to declines in major stock indices: the S&P 500 dropped 2%, the Nasdaq 2.5%, and the Dow 1.5%. This trend continued into Monday with further sell-offs overseas.
The crypto market’s rapid decline raises questions about its role as either a speculative asset or a hedge against inflation and recession. Despite hopes that crypto could act as a risk hedge, the recent crash suggests it remains a speculative investment.
Since the downturn, the crypto market has seen its largest three-day sell-off in nearly a year, losing over $500 billion in market value. According to CoinGlass data, this bloodbath wiped out more than $1 billion in leveraged positions within the last 24 hours, including $365 million in Bitcoin and $348 million in Ether.
Khushboo Khullar of Lightning Ventures, speaking to Bloomberg, argued that the crypto sell-off is part of a broader liquidity panic as traders rush to cover margin calls. Khullar views this as a temporary sell-off, presenting a potential buying opportunity.
Josh Gilbert, an eToro market analyst, supports Khullar’s perspective, suggesting that the expected Federal Reserve rate cuts could benefit crypto assets. “Crypto assets have sold off, but many investors will see an opportunity. We see Federal Reserve rate cuts, which are now likely to come sharper than expected, as hugely positive for crypto assets,” Gilbert told Coindesk.
Despite the recent volatility, crypto continues to make strides toward mainstream acceptance. Notably, Morgan Stanley will allow its advisors to offer Bitcoin ETFs starting Wednesday. This follows more than half a year after the introduction of the first Bitcoin ETF. The investment bank will enable over 15,000 of its financial advisors to sell BlackRock’s IBIT and Fidelity’s FBTC. This move is seen as a significant step toward the “mainstreamization” of crypto, given the lengthy regulatory and company processes in major investment banks.
The recent crypto market downturn highlights its volatility and the broader economic concerns affecting all risk assets. While some analysts see the current situation as a temporary sell-off and a buying opportunity, others caution against the speculative nature of crypto. As the market evolves, its role as a mainstream alternative asset continues to grow, marked by increasing institutional acceptance and new investment opportunities.
