North West (NWC) Competitors

North West (TSE:NWC) and Loblaw Companies (TSE:L) are both consumer defensive companies, but which is the better investment? We will compare the two businesses based on the strength of their media sentiment, earnings, analyst recommendations, dividends, valuation, institutional ownership, profitability and risk.

Does the media refer more to NWC or L?

In the previous week, Loblaw Companies had 1 more articles in the media than North West. MarketBeat recorded 4 mentions for Loblaw Companies and 3 mentions for North West. Loblaw Companies' average media sentiment score of 0.92 beat North West's score of 0.19 indicating that Loblaw Companies is being referred to more favorably in the news media.

Company	Very Positive	Positive	Neutral	Negative	Very Negative	Overall Sentiment
North West	0 Very Positive mention(s)	1 Positive mention(s)	1 Neutral mention(s)	1 Negative mention(s)	0 Very Negative mention(s)	Neutral
Loblaw Companies	1 Very Positive mention(s)	1 Positive mention(s)	1 Neutral mention(s)	0 Negative mention(s)	0 Very Negative mention(s)	Positive

Which has more volatility & risk, NWC or L?

North West has a beta of 0.069216, indicating that its share price is 93% less volatile than the S&P 500. Comparatively, Loblaw Companies has a beta of 0.288064, indicating that its share price is 71% less volatile than the S&P 500.

Which has preferable earnings and valuation, NWC or L?

Loblaw Companies has higher revenue and earnings than North West. North West is trading at a lower price-to-earnings ratio than Loblaw Companies, indicating that it is currently the more affordable of the two stocks.

Company	Gross Revenue	Price/Sales Ratio	Net Income	Earnings Per Share	Price/Earnings Ratio
North West	C$2.60B	0.85	C$131.51M	C$2.84	16.40
Loblaw Companies	C$62.29B	1.12	C$2.23B	C$2.02	28.99

Do insiders & institutionals hold more shares of NWC or L?

41.0% of North West shares are held by institutional investors. Comparatively, 14.1% of Loblaw Companies shares are held by institutional investors. 0.1% of North West shares are held by company insiders. Comparatively, 53.8% of Loblaw Companies shares are held by company insiders. Strong institutional ownership is an indication that large money managers, hedge funds and endowments believe a stock will outperform the market over the long term.

Is NWC or L a better dividend stock?

North West pays an annual dividend of C$1.60 per share and has a dividend yield of 3.4%. Loblaw Companies pays an annual dividend of C$0.53 per share and has a dividend yield of 0.9%. North West pays out 56.3% of its earnings in the form of a dividend. Loblaw Companies pays out 26.1% of its earnings in the form of a dividend. Both companies have healthy payout ratios and should be able to cover their dividend payments with earnings for the next several years.

Do analysts recommend NWC or L?

North West currently has a consensus target price of C$60.25, indicating a potential upside of 29.32%. Loblaw Companies has a consensus target price of C$199.38, indicating a potential upside of 240.93%. Given Loblaw Companies' higher probable upside, analysts plainly believe Loblaw Companies is more favorable than North West.

Company	Sell Ratings	Hold Ratings	Buy Ratings	Strong Buy Ratings	Rating Score
North West	0 Sell rating(s)	0 Hold rating(s)	4 Buy rating(s)	1 Strong Buy rating(s)	3.20
Loblaw Companies	0 Sell rating(s)	2 Hold rating(s)	6 Buy rating(s)	0 Strong Buy rating(s)	2.75

Is NWC or L more profitable?

North West has a net margin of 5.14% compared to Loblaw Companies' net margin of 3.71%. Loblaw Companies' return on equity of 19.90% beat North West's return on equity.

Company	Net Margins	Return on Equity	Return on Assets
North West	5.14%	18.43%	8.69%
Loblaw Companies	3.71%	19.90%	5.89%

Summary

Loblaw Companies beats North West on 12 of the 19 factors compared between the two stocks.