Analysts Set Loblaw Companies Limited (TSE:L) PT at C$201.88

Loblaw Companies Limited (TSE:L) has earned an average recommendation of “Moderate Buy” from the seven analysts that are covering the firm, Marketbeat 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 brokers that have issued ratings on the stock in the last year is C$201.88.

L has been the topic of a number of research analyst reports. UBS Group set a C$225.00 target price on Loblaw Companies and gave the company a “buy” rating in a report on Friday, December 13th. CIBC raised their price objective on Loblaw Companies from C$189.00 to C$206.00 in a research note on Thursday, November 14th. Royal Bank of Canada boosted their target price on Loblaw Companies from C$205.00 to C$217.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a research note on Monday, December 9th. National Bankshares raised their price target on shares of Loblaw Companies from C$188.00 to C$195.00 in a research note on Thursday, November 14th. Finally, Desjardins upped their price objective on shares of Loblaw Companies from C$172.00 to C$190.00 in a research report on Thursday, November 14th.

Loblaw Companies Stock Performance

TSE L opened at C$178.47 on Friday. The firm’s 50 day simple moving average is C$186.79 and its 200 day simple moving average is C$179.20. The firm has a market capitalization of C$54.50 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 27.04, a P/E/G ratio of 3.23 and a beta of 0.17. The company has a current ratio of 1.36, a quick ratio of 0.68 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 163.32. Loblaw Companies has a 1 year low of C$132.55 and a 1 year high of C$196.49.

Loblaw Companies Announces Dividend

The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Monday, December 30th. Investors of record on Monday, December 30th were issued a $0.513 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Friday, December 13th. This represents a $2.05 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 1.15%. Loblaw Companies’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 31.06%.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other news, Director Christie James Beckett Clark sold 2,105 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, December 18th. The stock was sold at an average price of C$189.69, for a total transaction of C$399,297.45. Insiders own 53.77% of the company’s stock.

Loblaw Companies Company Profile

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.