<p style="text-indent:0px; line-height:12px;"><span style="font-weight:bold;line-height:130%"> Brampton, ON</span><hr class="legacyRuler"><hr class="legacyRuler"><hr class="invisible minimal-padding">By ANUK Staff<hr class="legacyRuler"><hr class="legacyRuler"><hr class="invisible minimal-padding">5.1.13</p><hr class="legacyRuler"><hr class="invisible minimal-padding"><p>Loblaw Companies Ltd. has released unaudited financial results for the first quarter highlighted by a 40 percent increase in net earnings.<hr class="legacyRuler"><hr class="legacyRuler"><hr class="invisible minimal-padding"><img src="https://cdn.andnowuknow.com/legacyWriterImages/loblaw050113body.jpg" alt="Images 043013" /><hr class="legacyRuler"><hr class="legacyRuler"><hr class="invisible minimal-padding">For the period ended March 23 net earnings rose by 40.2% from $122 million, or 43 cents per share, to $171 million, or 61 cents. The company said it is raising its dividend by a little over 9 percent, according to a press release.<hr class="legacyRuler"><hr class="legacyRuler"><hr class="invisible minimal-padding">Revenue increased to 3.8 percent from $6.94 billion to $7.2 billion. The $265-million rise was driven by improvements in both the company's retail and financial services operating segments and included same-store sales growth of 2.8 per cent.<hr class="legacyRuler"><hr class="legacyRuler"><hr class="invisible minimal-padding">"Our fresh-led, customer-focused strategy is delivering results," said Galen G. Weston , Executive Chairman.<hr class="legacyRuler"><hr class="legacyRuler"><hr class="invisible minimal-padding">“I look forward to the balance of the year with confidence. Despite the increasingly competitive environment, I believe that our improving customer experience and demonstrated ability to create leverage by driving cost savings and efficiencies will enable us to win in the marketplace and deliver value to our shareholders. Our dividend increase - the second time in the last six months - is part of our continued focus on enhancing shareholder value, and reflects the Board's conviction in management's long term strategy," concluded Weston.</p><hr class="legacyRuler"><hr class="invisible minimal-padding"><p><a class="btn btn-sm btn-primary col-lg-12" style="white-space: normal;" href=" http://www.loblaw.ca/ " target="_new">Loblaw</a></p><hr class="legacyRuler"><hr class="invisible minimal-padding">
