Canadian Pacific Appears Overvalued Into Earnings (NYSE:CP)

Canadian Pacific Keith Creel. Source: Globe And Mail
Canadian Pacific (CP) reports earnings Oct. 28. Analysts expect revenue of $1.4 billion and EPS of $3.23. The revenue estimate implies a Y/Y revenue decline in the mid-single-digit percentage range. Investors should focus on the following key items.
Falling Rail Traffic
In 2019 railroads faced headwinds to their top lines. The pandemic has exacerbated the situation and business activity has free fallen. For the first 39 weeks of 2020, cumulative rail traffic for Canadian railroads was down 7.7%. Last quarter, Canadian Pacific’s rail traffic fell 14% Y/Y and its average selling price (“ASP”) rose over 5%. Over half of the company’s major product segments experienced revenue declines.
On a combined basis, Grain, Energy and Intermodal represented more than 65% of total revenue. Grain revenue was up 6% on a 5% rise in carloads and 1% rise in ASP. Lower Grain volumes in