Trains temper Bombardier’s risk

Article Excerpt

Bombardier makes most of its money from its airplane operations. This is a highly cyclical industry, and the recession has hurt demand for new planes. That’s mainly why Bombardier’s shares are down over 50% from last June’s peak of around $9. However, Bombardier’s passenger-railcar business, while not as profitable, adds stability. The long-term outlook for this division remains bright, particularly as more people move to cities and governments increase spending on public-transit systems. BOMBARDIER INC. (Toronto symbols BBD.A $3.78 and BBD.B $3.65, Aggressive Growth Portfolio, Manufacturing & Industry sector; Shares outstanding: 1.7 billion; Market cap: $6.4 billion; Price-to-sales ratio: 0.3; SI Rating: Extra Risk) is the world’s third-largest maker of commercial aircraft, after Boeing and Airbus. Bombardier’s aerospace division supplies about half of its revenue and two-thirds of its profits. The remaining revenue and earnings come from Bombardier’s transportation division, which controls 22% of the global market. This makes Bombardier the world’s largest maker of passenger railcars and commuter trains. The company sells most…