The Globe and Mail reports in its Wednesday, Oct. 30, edition that National Bank Financial analyst Vishal Shreedhar is sticking with his "sector perform" recommendation and $85 share target for Alimentation Couche-Tard. The Globe's David Leeder writes in the Eye On Equities column that analysts on average target the shares at $90.65. Mr. Shreedhar anticipates "tepid" quarterly results from Couche-Tard, suggesting that the performance gap has prompted the pursuit of Seven & i Holdings. Mr. Shreedhar says in a note: "If Couche-Tard achieves its ambitious F2028 targets, stock price upside remains. That said, our estimates continue to fall short of Couche-Tard's goals, in part due to the challenging c-store backdrop. While Couche-Tard has executed well against prior growth ambitions, the strategic plan calls for growth largely outside traditional vectors (fuel margin and M&A). ... We expect modestly lower fuel margins year-over-year in Canada and the U.S., reflecting pressured macroeconomic conditions and tepid consumer trends. ... We expect fuel consumption to be higher year-over-year in Q2/F25, primarily reflecting an easier comparable base, partly offset by pressured consumer demand (particularly at the lower end)."