Chugging Along: Canadian Railways and the Coronavirus
Although a great deal of uncertainty remains related to the severity and duration of the current coronavirus pandemic, Canadian railways reported their first quarter (Q1 2020) earnings and shed some colour on their plans for the rest of 2020 and beyond, and on their ability to weather the current economic fallout from the coronavirus. No industry is immune from the coronavirus and the associated disruptions to the economy and the railway industry, often seen as a reflection of the broader economy, is no exception. DBRS Limited (DBRS Morningstar) views the Canadian railways as more adequately prepared and robust enough to weather the impact of much lower volumes versus its U.S. counterparts. This is due to some differentiating factors and a competitive advantage, which suggest that rating changes for Canadian railways will not likely occur unless the economic scenario worsens considerably from DBRS Morningstar’s base case assumptions.
Canadian Pacific Railway operates a transcontinental railway in Canada and the U.S. Co.'s business mix includes bulk commodities, merchandise freight and intermodal traffic, serving the principal business centers of Canada from Montreal, Quebec, to Vancouver, British Columbia, and the U.S. Northeast and Midwest regions. As of Dec 31 2016, Co. operated on a network of approximately 12,400 miles of track, of which CP owns 10,800 miles and has access to 1,600 miles under trackage rights and lease agreements. Of the total mileage operated, about 5,600 miles were located in western Canada, 2,000 miles in eastern Canada, 4,400 miles in the U.S. Midwest and 400 miles in the U.S. Northeast.
DBRS Morningstar is a global credit ratings business with 700 employees in eight offices globally. DBRS and Morningstar Credit Ratings are committed to empowering investor success, serving the market through leading-edge technology and raising the bar for the industry.
Together, we are the world’s fourth largest credit ratings agency and a market leader in Canada, the U.S. and Europe in multiple asset classes. We rate more than 2,600 issuers and 54,000 securities worldwide and are driven to bring more clarity, diversity and responsiveness to the ratings process. Our approach and size provide the agility to respond to customers’ needs, while being large enough to provide the necessary expertise and resources. For more details visit us at dbrs.com.
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