The Globe and Mail reports in its Tuesday, June 23, edition that Alimentation Couche-Tard is a global convenience store and fuel retail operator. The Globe's guest columnist Anij Anand writes in the Number Cruncher column that Couche-Tard has a return on capital of 15.8 per cent, and 10-year EBITDA growth volatility of 4.4 per cent suggesting a stable operating profile. Its net debt-to-EBITDA ratio of 1.8 is slightly higher, however, it remains manageable given the company's scale and stable operating profile. Couche-Tard may appeal to investors who are looking for a defensive large-cap stock with a proven track record of capital efficiency and resilient profitability. The Globe reported on May 29 that National Bank analyst Vishal Shreedhar had reaffirmed his "outperform" recommendation for Couche-Tard. The shares could then be had for $77.89. The Globe reported on June 12 that Scotia Capital analyst John Zamparo, ahead of the release of Couche-Tard's quarterly results on June 22, raised his share target to $94 from $90 with an unchanged "sector outperform" recommendation. The shares were then going for $84.31.