Rebound continues at CP

Article Excerpt

CANADIAN PACIFIC RAILWAY $76.76 (Toronto symbol CP; Shares outstanding: 170.9 million; Market cap: $13.1 billion; TSINetwork Rating: Average; Dividend yield: 1.8%; www.cpr.ca) reported higher-than-expected earnings in the latest quarter. In the three months ended March 31, 2012, the company’s earnings soared 317.6%, to $142.0 million from $34.0 million a year earlier. Earnings per share rose 310.0%, to $0.82 from $0.20, on more shares outstanding. That beat the consensus estimate of $0.75 a share. Severe winter weather and avalanches in B.C. delayed the company’s trains and depressed the year-earlier results. This was the main reason for the earnings jump. Revenue rose 18.3%, to $1.4 billion from $1.2 billion. U.S.-based activist investment firm Pershing Square Capital Management, which owns 14.2% of the company, still aims to replace seven of CP’s 15 directors and install Hunter Harrison, the successful former CEO of CN Rail, as CP’s chief executive officer. Pershing Square’s ongoing pressure should continue to spur CP’s stock price. CP Rail is still a safety-conscious buy. buy…