- The trend backdrop is active with a 8-week active streak.
- Price is above the Trend Line, keeping the weekly tape constructive.
- Price is above Fair Value, showing premium demand versus the model.
- Activity pressure is positive on the latest completed week.
EMP-A
TOR
Week ended 31 Jul 2026
Weekly Investor Report
Empire Company Limited · Consumer Defensive · Grocery Stores
Latest close
51.31 CAD
2.4%
latest week
Weekly setup
Constructive, but selective
The weekly trend is active. Price is 6.4% above the Trend Line and sits at 55.4% of its 52-week range. The latest completed week returned 2.4%, after a 6.0% four-week move. The latest factor snapshot indicates quality is middle-of-the-pack; growth ranks weakly; valuation is neither clearly cheap nor expensive. The latest news-sentiment score is 55/100.
Setup score
55
out of 100
Latest Close
51.31 CAD
31 Jul 2026
1W Return
2.4%
latest completed week
4W Return
6.0%
short-term follow-through
12W Return
10.2%
quarterly tape
Trend Breadth
26.9%
14 of 52 weeks active
Volume Ratio
1.2x
vs 13-week average
- No major top-level risk cluster is currently dominant.
- Trend Line remains the key weekly regime level.
- Activity pressure is the gauge to monitor for confirmation or fade.
- A volume ratio above 1.5x would show stronger participation in the next move.
Price follow-through
2.4%
Latest completed week; four-week move 6.0%.
Indicator stack
42/76
Trend and activity pressure are weighted against the latest 12-week confirmation window.
Trend backdrop
Active
The trend backdrop defines the current weekly regime.
Patient Capital
Quiet
Activity-pressure buy-signal status for institutional accumulation timing.
News sentiment
55/100
22 relevant articles in the latest sentiment read.
01 · Price action
Study the full chart
Where price is—and whether the trend supports it
The weekly trend is active. Price is 6.4% above the Trend Line and sits at 55.4% of its 52-week range. The latest completed week returned 2.4%, after a 6.0% four-week move.
52-week price path
Price vs Trend Line and Fair Value
Price
Trend Line
Fair Value
02 · Volume and demand
Is real participation confirming the move?
Latest weekly volume is 1.2x the 13-week average. Participation is around or above normal and provides reasonable confirmation.
26-week volume confirmation
Bar height shows volume; colour shows the weekly price direction
6 Feb
13 Feb
20 Feb
27 Feb
6 Mar
13 Mar
20 Mar
27 Mar
3 Apr
10 Apr
17 Apr
24 Apr
1 May
8 May
15 May
22 May
29 May
5 Jun
12 Jun
19 Jun
26 Jun
3 Jul
10 Jul
17 Jul
24 Jul
31 Jul
Up week
Down week
Demand beneath price
Activity pressure and institutional-style signals
These indicators assess whether participation is improving beneath the headline price move. They are supporting evidence, not proof of institutional buying.
Activity pressure path
Latest 0.6112-week average 0.31
12-week confirmation
Trend active8/12Active trend-backdrop weeks in the latest 12-week window.
Positive pressure10/12Weeks with constructive activity pressure in the latest 12-week window.
Positive leadership0/12Weeks with positive relative leadership in the latest 12-week window.
Activity pressure0.61Current proprietary activity-pressure read.
Buy signals0Accumulation signal count in the latest 12 weeks.
Reversal markers0No reversal markers
No recent accumulation markers. No reversal markers.
03 · Momentum and leadership
Is performance persistent—and is the stock leading?
Performance is 6.0% over four weeks, 10.2% over 12 weeks, and -4.5% over one year. The current trend has remained active for 8 consecutive weeks.
Performance by holding period
Active trend streak8 weeks
Active weeks in one year14
Trend breadth26.9%
Activity pressure vs relative leadership
Activity pressureRelative leadership
Pressure0.96Latest activity-pressure read.
Pressure change110.3%Four-week change in activity pressure.
Leadership-4.50Latest relative-leadership reading.
RS change64.3%Four-week change in relative leadership.
04 · Fundamentals and valuation
Open full factor analysis
What investors are paying for—and the quality behind it
The latest factor snapshot indicates quality is middle-of-the-pack; growth ranks weakly; valuation is neither clearly cheap nor expensive.
Factor week 26 Jul 2026
Financial statements through 30 Apr 2026
Field coverage 94%
Model confidence 94%
Relative factor standing
Higher display scores are better. Each score is converted from the underlying universe rank, where rank 1 is best.
Overall factor strength63/100Blend of value, momentum, and quality. Underlying universe rank 38; rank 1 is best.
Value73/100Relative valuation strength. Underlying universe rank 28; rank 1 is best.
Quality64/100Profitability and accounting quality. Underlying universe rank 37; rank 1 is best.
Momentum15/100Medium-term price momentum. Underlying universe rank 86; rank 1 is best.
Growth7/100Revenue and earnings growth. Underlying universe rank 94; rank 1 is best.
Quality and valuation are separate questions
A strong company can still carry a demanding valuation. This report shows profitability, growth, balance-sheet strength, and the price paid for those characteristics separately.
Value-quality framework54/100Value and quality alignment from the Sharemaestro SVQF framework.
Valuation
How much investors are paying for earnings, sales, and cash flow.
- P/E
- 57.0x Price divided by trailing earnings.
- Price / sales
- 0.4x Market value relative to trailing revenue.
- EV / EBITDA
- 10.6x Enterprise value relative to operating cash earnings.
- Free-cash-flow yield
- 5.7% Free cash flow as a share of enterprise value.
Business quality
Margins and the return generated on invested capital.
- Gross margin
- 27.1% Gross profit retained from each unit of revenue.
- Operating margin
- 3.8% Operating profit retained from revenue.
- Free-cash-flow margin
- 3.4% Free cash flow generated from revenue.
- Return on invested capital
- 7.2% Operating return generated on invested capital.
Growth and financial strength
Recent business growth and accounting strength.
- Revenue growth
- 2.2% Latest one-year revenue growth.
- EPS growth
- -70.8% Latest one-year earnings-per-share growth.
- Free-cash-flow growth
- -20.0% Latest one-year free-cash-flow growth.
- Piotroski F-score
- 7/9 Nine-point accounting-strength checklist.
Shareholder return and balance sheet
Cash returned to owners and financial leverage.
- Dividend yield
- 1.8% Cash dividends relative to market value.
- Buyback yield
- 3.5% Net share repurchases relative to market value.
- Shareholder yield
- 5.3% Dividend yield plus net buyback yield.
- Net debt / EBITDA
- 4.2x Balance-sheet debt relative to operating cash earnings.
05 · Ownership, options, and sentiment
What other market participants are doing
Options, insider transactions, market sentiment, and activity-pressure signals can confirm or challenge the price story. None should be used alone.
Insider activity-
No recent insider transactions are stored for this company.
News sentiment55/100
Weighted news tone is neutral across 22 relevant articles.
7 positive · 14 neutral · 1 negativePatient CapitalQuiet
Activity-pressure buy-signal evidence highlights potential institutional accumulation windows.
No recent buy signal
06 · Catalysts and risk
What can move the shares—and how volatile the path has been
Event timing, options-implied movement, drawdown, and weekly return distribution frame the risk around the current setup.
Next earnings-No event is currently stored.
Options expected move-Nearest-chain priced movement where available.
52-week drawdown-10.8%Distance below the 52-week high.
13-week volatility2.0%Standard deviation of weekly returns.
Weekly gains and losses
Latest 26 completed weeksEach bar is one week. Gains rise above the zero line; losses fall below it. Taller bars mean a larger weekly move.
6 Feb
6 Mar
3 Apr
1 May
29 May
26 Jun
31 Jul
Weeks higher16 of 2610 weeks finished lower.
Best week+7.9%Week of 6 Feb.
Worst week-5.1%Week of 3 Jul.
Latest week+2.4%Week of 31 Jul.
Shape of recent returns
Strong gains1
Modest gains15
Flat weeks0
Modest losses9
Sharp losses1
Recent vol2.0%13-week weekly-return volatility.
Base vol2.8%52-week weekly-return volatility.
Up/down split27/24Count of positive and negative weeks in the 52-week window.
Average skew1.9% / -2.3%Average positive week versus average negative week.
07 · Sector and peer context
Is this stock leading—or simply moving with its group?
Sector and industry breadth distinguish company-specific strength from a broad group move.
SectorCA Consumer Defensive
4-week rank3 / 33
Group average-1.6%
Trend breadth39.4%
Trend39.4%active weekly trend signals
MD51.5%positive activity pressure
RS24.2%positive relative leadership
Four-week leaders
IndustryCA Grocery Stores
4-week rank1 / 5
Group average4.6%
Trend breadth60.0%
Trend60.0%active weekly trend signals
MD80.0%positive activity pressure
RS20.0%positive relative leadership
Four-week leaders
08 · Evidence and weekly data
The underlying research record
Every top-level statement above should be traceable to a stored market, fundamental, event, or positioning observation.
Weekly tape52/100
Trend, activity pressure, participation, and risk combine to a 52/100 tape read.
Indicator analysis54/100Latest 12-week confirmation: trend 8/12, activity pressure 10/12, relative leadership 0/12.
Activity pressure 0.61; No reversal markers Factors54/100O'Shaughnessy factor stack blends value, quality, momentum, and confidence.
Buyback Yield rank 11; Small Cap Core rank 28 SVQF54/100Value and quality alignment from the Sharemaestro SVQF framework.
Composite rank 137.0 of 298 Patient CapitalQuietActivity-pressure buy-signal evidence highlights potential institutional accumulation windows.
No recent buy signal Sentiment55/100Weighted news tone is neutral across 22 relevant articles.
Empire (TSX:EMP.A) Stock Could Be 10.4% Below Fair Value After Q4 EPS Jump Insiders50/100No recent insider transaction evidence is stored.
Earnings50/100No stored earnings event is currently attached to this ticker.
| Week | Close | Return | Trend Line | Fair Value | Pressure | Leadership | Volume | Trend |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 31 Jul 2026 | 51.31 CAD | 2.4% | 48.22 CAD | 42.31 CAD | 0.96 | -4.50 | 2.4M | On |
| 24 Jul 2026 | 50.10 CAD | 2.3% | 48.10 CAD | 42.19 CAD | 0.62 | -7.75 | 1.9M | On |
| 17 Jul 2026 | 48.95 CAD | 0.4% | 47.99 CAD | 42.09 CAD | 0.54 | -10.24 | 2.5M | On |
| 10 Jul 2026 | 48.78 CAD | 0.8% | 47.90 CAD | 42.00 CAD | 0.54 | -11.35 | 3.7M | On |
| 3 Jul 2026 | 48.41 CAD | -5.1% | 47.79 CAD | 41.91 CAD | 0.46 | -12.60 | 2.7M | On |
| 26 Jun 2026 | 51.00 CAD | 0.7% | 47.88 CAD | 41.82 CAD | 0.43 | -7.96 | 535.5K | On |
| 19 Jun 2026 | 50.63 CAD | 3.1% | 47.88 CAD | 41.72 CAD | 0.36 | -9.26 | 465.7K | On |
| 12 Jun 2026 | 49.08 CAD | -0.8% | 47.91 CAD | 41.61 CAD | 0.09 | -12.59 | 261.1K | On |
| 5 Jun 2026 | 49.50 CAD | 1.2% | 47.98 CAD | 41.51 CAD | 0.03 | -11.06 | 266.1K | Off |
| 29 May 2026 | 48.89 CAD | 2.6% | 47.96 CAD | 41.40 CAD | 0.01 | -13.56 | 2.9M | Off |
| 22 May 2026 | 47.64 CAD | 1.5% | 47.91 CAD | 41.29 CAD | -0.18 | -15.62 | 1.9M | Off |
| 15 May 2026 | 46.92 CAD | 0.8% | 47.92 CAD | 41.20 CAD | -0.00 | -15.90 | 3.1M | Off |
| 8 May 2026 | 46.54 CAD | -0.3% | 47.94 CAD | 41.12 CAD | 0.15 | -17.67 | 2.7M | Off |
| 1 May 2026 | 46.68 CAD | -1.0% | 47.99 CAD | 41.03 CAD | 0.33 | -17.53 | 1.3M | Off |
How to use this report
This is a completed-week research summary. It explains the available evidence and its conflicts; it does not predict a guaranteed outcome or replace your own risk assessment. Fundamental figures may refer to an earlier financial reporting period, which is shown above.