Canadian Pacific Railway Ltd. $66 - Toronto symbol CP

CANADIAN PACIFIC RAILWAY LTD. $66 (Toronto symbol CP; Conservative Growth Portfolio, Manufacturing & Industry sector; Shares outstanding: 153.2 million; Market cap: $10.1 billion; SI Rating: Average) has also run into problems with its plan to buy a U.S. railway. In September 2007, it agreed to pay $1.48 billion U.S. for Dakota, Minnesota & Eastern Railroad Corp. (DM&E), which operates a 4,000-km rail network in eight Midwestern states. DM&E mainly transports agricultural products, coal and ethanol to key ports such as Chicago and Minneapolis. CP also plans to spend $300 million U.S. to upgrade DM&E’s tracks and railcars. This is a big investment for CP, which earned $603.9 million (Canadian) or $3.87 a share in the first nine months of 2007. Like CN, this acquisition also faces local opposition. While this will prolong the regulatory review process, CP will likely win approval for the takeover. CP should earn $4.30 a share in 2007, and the stock trades at 15.4 times that figure. Earnings could reach $4.75 a share in 2008, which implies a p/e of 13.9. The $0.90 dividend yields 1.4%. CP Rail is a buy.

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