Loblaw Companies (TSE:L) Price Target Raised to C$156.00

Loblaw Companies (TSE:L) had its price target upped by National Bankshares from C$153.00 to C$156.00 in a research note published on Monday morning, BayStreet.CA reports. They currently have an outperform rating on the stock.

Several other equities analysts have also issued reports on L. Scotiabank upped their price target on Loblaw Companies from C$137.00 to C$146.00 and gave the company a sector perform rating in a research note on Friday, February 23rd. Royal Bank of Canada upped their price target on Loblaw Companies from C$170.00 to C$172.00 and gave the company an outperform rating in a research note on Wednesday, January 24th. BMO Capital Markets increased their target price on Loblaw Companies from C$130.00 to C$145.00 in a research note on Friday, February 23rd. Desjardins increased their target price on Loblaw Companies from C$133.00 to C$148.00 and gave the company a buy rating in a research note on Friday, February 23rd. Finally, TD Securities increased their target price 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. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a hold rating and five have given a buy rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the company currently has an average rating of Moderate Buy and a consensus price target of C$153.71.

Loblaw Companies Price Performance

Loblaw Companies stock opened at C$149.23 on Monday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 156.41, a quick ratio of 0.68 and a current ratio of 1.25. The firm has a market cap of C$46.15 billion, a P/E ratio of 22.89, a P/E/G ratio of 2.53 and a beta of 0.12. The business’s fifty day moving average is C$145.49 and its two-hundred day moving average is C$130.79. Loblaw Companies has a 52 week low of C$110.52 and a 52 week high of C$154.70.

Loblaw Companies (TSE:L) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, February 22nd. The company reported C$2.00 EPS for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of C$1.92 by C$0.08. The company had revenue of C$14.53 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of C$14.58 billion. Loblaw Companies had a return on equity of 18.96% and a net margin of 3.53%. Equities research analysts forecast that Loblaw Companies will post 8.4881297 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Loblaw Companies Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Monday, April 1st. Shareholders of record on Monday, April 1st were issued a $0.446 dividend. The ex-dividend date was Thursday, March 14th. This represents a $1.78 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 1.20%. Loblaw Companies’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 27.30%.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other Loblaw Companies news, Senior Officer Frank Gambioli sold 4,603 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Friday, February 23rd. The stock was sold at an average price of C$144.00, for a total value of C$662,832.00. In related news, Senior Officer Jeffrey Francis Leger sold 10,000 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, February 28th. The stock was sold at an average price of C$147.50, for a total transaction of C$1,475,000.00. Also, Senior Officer Frank Gambioli sold 4,603 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Friday, February 23rd. The stock was sold at an average price of C$144.00, for a total value of C$662,832.00. Insiders sold 71,495 shares of company stock worth $10,547,163 over the last ninety days. 52.69% of the stock is currently owned by corporate insiders.

Loblaw Companies Company Profile

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.