These blue chips offer you steady growth: CP Rail and Metro

Article Excerpt

CP Rail is well positioned to keep weathering any COVID-19-related slowdowns or disruptions to its shipping markets. Metro is in a similar position as it continues to build its strong market position as an essential service during the pandemic. Both stocks are still buys. CANADIAN PACIFIC RAILWAY $448.83, is a buy. The company (Toronto symbol CP; shares outstanding: 133.3 million; Market cap: $60.5 billion; Rating: Above Average; Dividend yield: 0.9%) operates a 22,000-kilometre rail network between Montreal and Vancouver. It also links to rail hubs in the U.S. Midwest and Northeast. In the three months ended December 31, 2020, the company’s revenue fell 2.8%, to $2.01 billion from $2.07 billion a year earlier. The lower revenues are mainly due to lower volumes of oil, coal, chemicals and consumer products due to the COVID-19 pandemic. However, thanks to CP’s strong focus on efficiency, its earnings improved 4.1%, to $683 million from $656 million a year earlier. Due to fewer shares outstanding, per-share earnings gained 6.1%, to $5.06 from $4.77. The…