cp rail

TECK RESOURCES LTD., $25.11, Toronto symbol TCK.B, reported lower results this week due to weaker metallurgical coal and copper prices. Even so, the latest revenue and earnings beat the consensus forecasts. In the three months ended June 30, 2013, Teck’s earnings fell 50.5%, to $197 million, or $0.34 a share. These figures exclude unusual items, such as foreign exchange losses and asset writedowns. On this basis, the latest earnings beat the consensus estimate of $0.31 a share. A year earlier, Teck earned $398 million, or $0.68 a share. Revenue fell 16.0%, to $2.2 billion from $2.6 billion. Even with the decline, the latest figure also beat the consensus estimate of $2.1 billion....

CANADIAN PACIFIC RAILWAY LTD., $131.73, Toronto symbol CP, continues to benefit from rising shipments of crude oil by rail. That’s because a lack of pipelines is forcing producers to find other ways to transport their oil to refineries. However, last Saturday’s derailment and explosion of a train hauling crude oil in Lac-Mégantic, Quebec, could slow down the oil-by-rail boom. (Note: a rival firm, Montreal, Maine & Atlantic Railway, operated this train, not CP.) The crash will likely lead to new regulations, such as requirements for thicker-hulled tanker cars that can better withstand collisions. Regulators may also demand that railways place more workers on their trains and install automatic braking equipment....

The July 6, 2013 derailment and explosion of a train in Lac-Mégantic, Quebec has implications for both CP and TransCanada (see left).

CANADIAN PACIFIC RAILWAY LTD. $129 (Toronto symbol CP; Conservative Growth Portfolio, Manufacturing & Industry sector; Shares outstanding: 175.0 million; Market cap: $22.6 billion; Price-to-sales ratio: 3.9; Dividend yield: 1.1%; TSINetwork Rating: Above Average; www.cpr.ca) expects to ship 70,000 carloads of crude oil in 2013, up sharply from just 13,000 in 2011.

However, the crash could hurt the oil-by-rail boom....

CANADIAN PACIFIC RAILWAY $127.99 (Toronto symbol CP; Shares outstanding: 174.7 million; Market cap: $22.6 billion; TSINetwork Rating: Average; Dividend yield: 1.1%; www.cpr.ca) continues to benefit from its aggressive plan to improve its efficiency with new locomotives, upgraded tracks and software that optimizes train loads and speeds.

For example, CP has cut the time it takes to ship intermodal containers between Toronto and Calgary by 20 hours....

TIM HORTONS INC., $55.01, Toronto symbol THI, moved up this week after U.S.-based activist investor Scout Capital Management said it now owns 5.5% of the company’s shares. The announcement follows last month’s news that another investment firm, Highfields Capital Management, had pressured Tim Hortons to unlock shareholder value by buying back shares and selling some of its operations. Highfields owns about 4% of the company. These two investors also want Tim Hortons to slow down its plan to expand in the U.S., where it faces strong competition from larger chains like McDonald’s, Starbucks and Dunkin’ Donuts. However, the company still expects to open 70 to 90 new outlets in the U.S. this year. As of March 31, 2013, it had 3,453 coffee-and-donut stores in Canada, 808 in the U.S. and 27 in the Persian Gulf....

Kansas City Southern, $109.98, symbol KSU on New York (Shares outstanding: 110.2 million; Market cap: $12.1 billion; www.kcsouthern.com), is a holding company that has railroad investments in the U.S., Mexico and Panama. Its main holding is the Kansas City Southern railway, which serves the central and south-central U.S. It also owns Kansas City Southern de Mexico, which operates in that country’s northeast and central regions, as well as the port cities of Lazaro Cardenas, Tampico and Veracruz. In addition, Kansas City Southern holds 50% of the Panama Canal Railway, which ships freight, as well as offering passenger service, from the Atlantic to the Pacific oceans running alongside the Panama Canal....

TIM HORTONS INC. (Toronto symbol THI; www.timhortons.com) is the largest fast-food company in Canada, with 3,453 outlets that mainly serve coffee and donuts. The company also has 808 U.S. stores. The stock has moved up lately in response to demands from Highfields Capital Management, a U.S.-based activist investment firm that owns 1.5% of Tim Hortons’ shares. Highfields has proposed several ways to boost shareholder value, including slowing Tim Hortons’ expansion in the U.S., where it faces intense competition from larger chains like McDonald’s, Dunkin’ Donuts and Starbucks....

CANADIAN PACIFIC RAILWAY LTD., $129.16, Toronto symbol CP, fell 6% this week after activist investor Pershing Square Capital Management announced that it will sell 7 million of its CP shares over the next year. Pershing holds 24 million CP shares, or 14.2% of the total outstanding. In June 2012, Pershing helped install Hunter Harrison as CP’s chief executive officer. Mr. Harrison is the former CEO of Canadian National Railway (Toronto symbol CNR). Under his leadership, CP has improved its efficiency with new locomotives, upgraded tracks and software that optimizes train loads and speeds. The company is also cutting 25% of its workforce over the next two years....

CANADIAN PACIFIC RAILWAY $126 (Toronto symbol CP; Shares outstanding: 174.7 million; Market cap: $23.0 billion; TSINetwork Rating: Average; Dividend yield: 1.1%; www.cpr.ca) dropped in early June after activist investor Pershing Square Capital Management announced that it will sell 7 million of its CP shares over the next year....

CANADIAN PACIFIC RAILWAY LTD. (Toronto symbol CP; www.cpr.ca) fell almost 7% this week after activist investor Pershing Square Capital Management L.P. announced that it will sell 7 million of its CP shares over the next year. Pershing currently holds 24 million CP shares, or 14.2% of the total outstanding. In June 2012, Pershing helped install Hunter Harrison as CP’s chief executive officer. Mr. Harrison is the former CEO of Canadian National Railway Co. (Toronto symbol CNR)....