Updating Canadian Pacific Railway Ltd., Alcan Inc., TransCanada Corp., and MDS Inc.

Article Excerpt

CANADIAN PACIFIC RAILWAY LTD. $64 (Toronto symbol CP) expects earnings in 2007 will rise 10% to $4.40 a share. Improving efficiencies should offset slowing coal volumes. Growing demand for other resources like potash should increase 2007 revenue by 5%. Best Buy. ALCAN INC. $57 (Toronto symbol AL) plans to build a new aluminum smelter in South Africa, and has arranged a 25-year electricity supply deal. The energy deal should make it easier for Alcan to bring in partners and offset the $2.7 billion cost (all amounts except share price in U.S. dollars); Alcan earned $461 million or $1.22 a share before special items in the third quarter of 2006. Best Buy. TRANSCANADA CORP. $40 (Toronto symbol TRP) has won a contract to build a new gas-fired power plant west of Toronto. Growing demand for power in this region should help TransCanada quickly recover the $670 million cost of the new plant; it earned $243 million or $0.50 a share before one-time items…