North America - On 21 May 2023 investment management firm CI Investments Inc. announced a boost in its holdings of Canadian Pacific Kansas City Limited (CPKC) shares.
 
According to the firm's most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission, it acquired an additional 25,831 shares during the fourth quarter, increasing its total holdings by 5.8 percent.
 
The fund's ownership of CPKC was valued at US$34,886,000 or 0.05 percent at the end of the reporting period.
 
CPKC is a railway transportation service provider that operates freight trains between Canada, the United States, and Mexico.
 
Founded on 22 Jun 2001 and headquartered in Calgary, Canadian Pacific has built a reputation as one of North America's leading rail freight companies.
 
In other news from CPKC this week, they recently declared their latest quarterly dividend payment due on Monday, 31 Jul 2023.
 
Shareholders who were registered on Friday, 30 Jun 2023, will be eligible for a US$0.141 per share dividend payment representing an annualized yield of 0.68 percent.
 
The ex-dividend date was Thursday, 29 Jun 2023.
 
With a payout ratio of just over 18 percent, it seems that CPKC is committed to delivering value to shareholders through regular dividend payments while also maintaining financial stability for future growth opportunities.
 
Despite challenges facing the transportation sector around things like regulatory changes and fuel prices, both nationally and internationally, CPKC has maintained solid performance which bodes well for investors seeking stable returns over time.
 
As markets continue to shift based on ever-changing economic conditions globally including those brought about by technology advancements affecting industries worldwide, one thing remains clear, investments in transportation-related securities are likely to remain relevant well into the future given burgeoning global needs for goods movement whether across borders or within domestic regions alike.
 
CPKC has seen significant activity from institutional investors in recent months, with Oppenheimer Asset Management, Baader Bank Aktiengesellschaft, HBK Sorce Advisory LLC, Ieq Capital LLC, and Blueshift Asset Management all increasing their holdings.
 
72.31 percent of CPKC's stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.
 
The transportation company's stock is currently trading at US$82.92 and has seen a 50 day moving average price of US$78.21 and a two-hundred day moving average price of US$77.80.
 
Several equities analysts have weighed in on CPKC recently, with CIBC cutting their target price from $128.00 to $125.00 in February 2023, and BMO Capital Markets giving the stock an outperform rating on 18 Apr 2023 the same year.
 
Barclays dropped their price target on CPKC from US$90.00 to US$89.00 and set an overweight rating on the stock in a report published on 12 Apr 2023 while Stifel Nicolaus dropped their own price target to US$75.00.
 
Despite these mixed reviews, Scotiabank raised its rating of CPKC's shares from sector perform to sector outperform back in March 2015, data collected by Bloomberg.com shows that four research analysts have rated CPKC as a hold while eleven have issued buy ratings for the stock, culminating in an overall average rating of Moderate Buy and a consensus target price of US$89.40.
 
The company currently boasts a market capitalization of US$77.20 billion, with a PE ratio of 27.38 and a PEG ratio of 2.34, it also sports a beta of 1.02 which suggests that its share prices are less volatile than those visible from other stocks traded on the market.
 
The transportation company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.46 and quick and current ratios of 0.56 and 0.66, respectively, making it an intriguing option for investors looking to explore opportunities within the transport sector.
 
With CPKC continuing to grow from strength to strength in light of interest from high-profile institutional investors, the possibility of further gains for those investing in CP can certainly not be ruled out just yet.
 
Elaine Mendonca.