CP Rail poised to move higher

Article Excerpt

Dear safe-money investor: CP Rail’s freight volumes continue to rebound. The company’s high exposure to grain, potash and other commodities had limited its growth over the past couple of years. Now, in addition to more shipments, CP’s cost-cutting and new efficiency measures are set to lift its profits. CANADIAN PACIFIC RAILWAY $211.85 (Toronto symbol CP; shares outstanding: 147.7 million; Market cap: $31.3 billion; TSINetwork Rating: Above Average; Yield: 0.9%; www.cpr.ca) ships freight over a 22,000-kilometre rail network between Montreal and Vancouver. It links to hubs in the U.S. Midwest and Northeast. In the three months ended March 31, 2017, CP’s revenue rose 0.8%, to $1.60 billion from $1.59 billion a year earlier. Higher revenue from shipping metals, minerals, potash and grain helped offset declines in fertilizers (other than potash), automotive equipment and oil. Earnings in the quarter fell 4.2%, to $368 million from $384 million. Due to fewer shares outstanding, per-share earnings were unchanged at $2.50. These results exclude unusual items. If you factor out…