Colin StewartPet Valu HoldingsPET.TOTOP PICKJun 25, 2008

Is the leading pet retailer in Canada as pet adoption continues to grow. This business is recession-proof. The valuation had to come in. Organic same-store sales growth has slowed a little, but management has delivered by expanding store count in underserved markets. The PE has fallen from 30x to 15x and now is 17-20x, which is reasonable considering growth potential and cash flow.

It is a good price so he is adding more. It works on a franchise basis, has good management, and it is the only company expanding outside city centres. The only overhang is a big private equity company that owns a controlling position has been peeling off stock. However there is healthy organic growth going forward. Lots of pets were bought during the pandemic and they need food.

Pet Value reported better-than-expected adjusted earnings per share but lower-than-expected same-store sales growth. Adjusted EPS of $0.36 declined 7% year-over-year missing estimates of $0.34. Same-store sales growth came in at 6%, driven by a 4.8% increase in transaction count. Revenue increased 13% year-over-year to $256.4 million, missing estimates slightly of $257.2 million. Adjusted EBITDA rose 4%, while the street called for a 1% decline. Gross margin improved by 1.5% year-over-year to 36.1% vs consensus of 34.6%. Management left the 2023 guidance unchanged at revenue of $1.05 to $1.08 million, same-store sales growth of 7% to 10%, and new store operations of 40-50 stores. The quarter overall was a miss and the guidance came in slightly lower than consensus.
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A fine business with dominant market share. American upstart, Chewy, spooked investors by expanding to Canada, but he isn't worried. His problem is valuation vs. growth rate, so shares are fairly valued now. Long term you will do okay, but it's not exciting for him now.

It missed on expectations last week so the stock is down. It is interesting to note that its emphasis will now be on rural markets. There is more pricing power and less competition in rural areas. Also pet ownership in these areas is high.

Leading pet supplies in Canada by far. Covid drove pet adoption and they need to be fed. There's higher spending per pet, too. He bought on a dip. They are growing double-digit growth and have raised guidance. Keep beating the street. A recession-resistant business.