Loblaw Companies (TSE:L) Given New C$156.00 Price Target at National Bankshares

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

Several other analysts also recently weighed in on the stock. TD Securities boosted their price objective on shares of Loblaw Companies from C$150.00 to C$160.00 and gave the stock a buy rating in a research report on Friday, February 23rd. Scotiabank boosted their price objective on shares of Loblaw Companies from C$137.00 to C$146.00 and gave the stock a sector perform rating in a research report on Friday, February 23rd. Royal Bank of Canada boosted their price objective on shares of Loblaw Companies from C$170.00 to C$172.00 and gave the stock an outperform rating in a research report on Wednesday, January 24th. CIBC reduced their price target on shares of Loblaw Companies from C$150.00 to C$149.00 and set an outperform rating for the company in a research report on Friday, February 23rd. Finally, Desjardins upped their price target on shares of Loblaw Companies from C$133.00 to C$148.00 and gave the company a buy rating in a research report on Friday, February 23rd. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a hold rating and five have assigned a buy rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the stock presently has a consensus rating of Moderate Buy and an average price target of C$153.71.

Loblaw Companies Trading Up 1.8 %

Shares of L 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 stock has a market capitalization of C$46.15 billion, a P/E ratio of 22.89, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.53 and a beta of 0.12. The company has a 50 day moving average price of C$145.49 and a 200 day moving average price of C$130.79. Loblaw Companies has a fifty-two week low of C$110.52 and a fifty-two week high of C$154.70.

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

Loblaw Companies Dividend Announcement

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Monday, April 1st. Stockholders of record on Monday, April 1st were issued a dividend of $0.446 per share. 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 payout ratio is currently 27.30%.

Insider Transactions at Loblaw Companies

In other news, Director Willard Galen Garfield Weston sold 13,354 shares of the stock in a transaction dated 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. In related news, Senior Officer Frank Gambioli sold 4,603 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, February 23rd. The shares were sold at an average price of C$144.00, for a total value of C$662,832.00. Also, Director Willard Galen Garfield Weston sold 13,354 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction that occurred 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. Insiders have sold a total of 71,495 shares of company stock worth $10,547,163 in the last three months. Company insiders own 52.69% of the company’s stock.

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.