Topic: How To Invest

Pat: Is this a good time to accumulate CSX Corp. shares?

Article Excerpt

CSX Corp., $36.67, symbol CSX on New York (Shares outstanding: 995.4 million; Market cap: $36.5 billion; www.csx.com), has risen lately, along with most railway stocks. The company has also held merger talks with Canadian Pacific Railway. CSX is the biggest railroad in the eastern U.S. The merger talks have now ended, partly because a deal would face significant regulatory obstacles. However, CSX’s outlook is positive, even without a merger. The company posted higher-than-expected profits in the latest quarter on increased grain and crude oil shipments. Total volumes rose 7%. CSX is also investing heavily for longer-term growth—including new connections in the Chicago area, the worst bottleneck in the rail industry. The stock trades at 16.7 times next year’s forecast earnings of $2.20 a share. It yields 1.8%. CSX Corp. is okay to hold. Note that we still see CP Rail, $230.64, symbol CP on Toronto; and CN Rail, $80.57, symbol CNR on Toronto, as buys. buys. …