Loblaw Companies Limited (TSE:L) Receives C$201.88 Average Price Target from Brokerages

Loblaw Companies Limited (TSE:L) has been given a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” by the seven analysts that are presently covering the company, MarketBeat.com reports. Two research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and five have given a buy rating to the company. The average 12-month price objective among brokerages that have issued ratings on the stock in the last year is C$201.88.

L has been the topic of several recent analyst reports. TD Securities reduced their target price on Loblaw Companies from C$203.00 to C$202.00 and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a report on Thursday, November 14th. CIBC lifted their price target on Loblaw Companies from C$189.00 to C$206.00 in a report on Thursday, November 14th. Royal Bank of Canada raised their price objective on shares of Loblaw Companies from C$205.00 to C$217.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a research report on Monday, December 9th. UBS Group set a C$225.00 price target on shares of Loblaw Companies and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research note on Friday, December 13th. Finally, Desjardins boosted their target price on Loblaw Companies from C$172.00 to C$190.00 in a research report on Thursday, November 14th.

Insider Buying and Selling

In other Loblaw Companies news, Director Christie James Beckett Clark sold 2,105 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction on Wednesday, December 18th. The shares were sold at an average price of C$189.69, for a total value of C$399,297.45. 53.77% of the stock is currently owned by insiders.

Loblaw Companies Trading Down 0.9 %

TSE:L opened at C$180.36 on Friday. The company has a quick ratio of 0.68, a current ratio of 1.36 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 163.32. Loblaw Companies has a 12 month low of C$132.55 and a 12 month high of C$196.49. The company’s 50 day moving average is C$186.79 and its 200-day moving average is C$178.92. The firm has a market cap of C$55.08 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 27.33, a P/E/G ratio of 3.23 and a beta of 0.17.

Loblaw Companies Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Monday, December 30th. Shareholders of record on Monday, December 30th were given a $0.513 dividend. This represents a $2.05 annualized dividend and a yield of 1.14%. The ex-dividend date was Friday, December 13th. Loblaw Companies’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 31.06%.

About Loblaw Companies

Loblaw is one of Canada’s largest grocery, pharmacy, and general merchandise retailers, operating the most expansive store footprint in Ontario and maintaining sizable presences in provinces like Quebec and British Columbia. Key grocery banners include Loblaw, No Frills, and Maxi, while its pharmaceutical operations are the product of its 2014 acquisition of Shoppers Drug Mart.