The Globe and Mail reports in its Tuesday edition that companies such as Toromont and Finning sell and service the heavy equipment used to clear the ground and build the new battery plants and data centres. Guest columnist Robert Tattersall writes that he believes that an unrecognized beneficiary of this infrastructure rollout could be Wajax, which operates the largest Hitachi dealership in North America. The company was founded as a blacksmith shop in Montreal in 1858. It now reports revenues of $2.2-billion, split almost evenly between heavy equipment sales and support, and industrial parts and engineered repair services. It boasts a dividend yield of 5.5 per cent. Revenues have grown at an annual rate of about 8 per cent over the past five years. Four sell-side analysts see modest upside potential from the current price of $25.50 with a target price range of $26 to $30. The market cap of only $570-million and average daily trading volume of 26,000 shares no doubt contribute to the minimal Street interest. Investors with a longer time perspective than quarterly earnings reports will find that Wajax has embarked on a slow process to enhance return on invested capital. The stock trades at a modest eight times earnings.
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