Alimentation Couche-Tard Inc. (Star)
The late, lamented Medicine Hat Blue Jays minor-league baseball team once had a prize for the dirtiest car in the parking lot. These days, Alimentation Couche-Tard’s gas-station network makes that promotion untenable. Couche-Tard says one of its many businesses that is firing on all cylinders is its car-wash operations, where it’s seeing double-digit sales increases across Europe and Canada. Shareholders are cleaning up.
ATD-B-T, $62.80, up $6.78 or 12.1% over week.
Hydro One Inc. (Dog)
Help wanted: Major Canadian utility seeks experienced chief executive and board of directors. We offer below-median compensation for the utility industry, but we’ll make up for it with a close mentorship program with leaders at Queen’s Park. A track record of shareholder stewardship is not required.
H-T, $19.17, down $1 or 4.96% over week.
Build-a-Bear Workshop (Star)
Customer-service disaster, but stock booster? It seems that way after the fuzzy-teddy seller underestimated demand for its “pay your age day” promotion this week, where customers got steep discounts from the normal US$20-to-US$35 prices. Buyers crowded malls and overwhelmed stores, leading to the event’s cancellation at 11 a.m. The company’s stock, however, got a boost: To pay your age for the shares, you could have been only 7 last week, but soon you may need to be 9.
BBW-N, US$8.15, up US$0.50 or 6.54% over week.
L Brands (Dog)
The parent of Victoria’s Secret said the women’s retailer had a poor June, with same-store sales falling 1 per cent. The semi-annual clearance sale of lingerie failed to push up revenue. The “Pink” line was in the red. Previously, Victoria’s Secret exited swimwear because it was pulling sales underwater. All in all, investors are finding the shares a bust.
LB-N, US$31.71, down US$4.99 or 13.6% over week.
Starbucks (Star)
The world’s pre-eminent dispenser of designer java has had a tough year. But it turned heads when it vowed this week to do away with plastic straws in its stores as of 2020. Sure, your favourite mock-Italian sugarochino will still come in plastic cups, but that’s not the point, my friend. That giant sucking sound you hear? It’s all about Starbucks stock lifting off.
SBUX-Q, US$51.62, up US$2.64 or 5.39% over week.
David Milstead
Ian McGugan