National Bankshares Raises Loblaw Companies (TSE:L) Price Target to C$159.00

Loblaw Companies (TSE:L) had its target price lifted by National Bankshares from C$156.00 to C$159.00 in a research report sent to investors on Thursday morning, BayStreet.CA reports. National Bankshares currently has an outperform rating on the stock.

A number of other research firms have also weighed in on L. CIBC reduced their target price on shares of Loblaw Companies from C$150.00 to C$149.00 and set an outperform rating on the stock in a report on Friday, February 23rd. BMO Capital Markets raised their target price on Loblaw Companies from C$130.00 to C$145.00 in a research report on Friday, February 23rd. Scotiabank lifted their target price on Loblaw Companies from C$146.00 to C$148.27 and gave the stock a sector perform rating in a report on Monday, April 22nd. TD Securities increased their price target on Loblaw Companies from C$150.00 to C$160.00 and gave the company a buy rating in a research note on Friday, February 23rd. Finally, Royal Bank of Canada lifted their price objective on Loblaw Companies from C$170.00 to C$172.00 and gave the stock an outperform rating in a research note on Wednesday, January 24th. Two analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and four have assigned a buy rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat, the company has an average rating of Moderate Buy and a consensus target price of C$162.43.

Loblaw Companies Stock Down 0.4 %

Shares of L opened at C$153.93 on Thursday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 156.41, a quick ratio of 0.68 and a current ratio of 1.25. Loblaw Companies has a 52 week low of C$110.52 and a 52 week high of C$155.22. The stock has a market capitalization of C$47.32 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 22.97, a PEG ratio of 2.53 and a beta of 0.12. The stock has a fifty day moving average of C$149.47 and a 200-day moving average of C$134.28.

Loblaw Companies (TSE:L) last posted its earnings results on Thursday, February 22nd. The company reported C$2.00 EPS for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of C$1.92 by C$0.08. The firm had revenue of C$14.53 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of C$14.58 billion. Loblaw Companies had a return on equity of 18.96% and a net margin of 3.53%. As a group, sell-side analysts anticipate that Loblaw Companies will post 8.5138274 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Loblaw Companies Increases Dividend

The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, July 1st. Stockholders of record on Saturday, June 15th will be given a $0.513 dividend. The ex-dividend date is Friday, June 14th. This is a positive change from Loblaw Companies’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.45. This represents a $2.05 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 1.33%. Loblaw Companies’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 30.60%.

Insider Activity

In related news, Director Willard Galen Garfield Weston sold 13,354 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, March 4th. The stock was sold at an average price of C$145.84, for a total transaction of C$1,947,558.04. In related news, Director Willard Galen Garfield Weston sold 13,354 shares of the stock in a transaction on Monday, March 4th. The shares were sold at an average price of C$145.84, for a total transaction of C$1,947,558.04. Also, Senior Officer Robert Wayne Wiebe sold 16,583 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction on Monday, March 11th. The stock was sold at an average price of C$150.00, for a total transaction of C$2,487,450.00. Insiders have sold 71,495 shares of company stock valued at $10,547,163 in the last ninety days. 53.26% of the stock is owned by company insiders.

About Loblaw Companies

Loblaw Companies Limited, a food and pharmacy company, provides grocery, pharmacy and healthcare services, health and beauty products, apparels, general merchandise, financial services, and wireless mobile products and services in Canada. It operates in two segments, Retail and Financial Services. The Retail segment operates corporate and franchise-owned retail food, and associate-owned drug stores.