Bombardier’s turnaround could stall

Article Excerpt

Bombardier has now completed the sale of its money-losing commercial aircraft and railcar businesses to focus on its business jet operations. The outlook for that business continues to improve as countries ease their pandemic travel restrictions. However, rising costs for raw materials and labour could slow the company’s turnaround. BOMBARDIER INC. remains a hold. The company (Toronto symbols BBD.A $1.43 and BBD.B $1.19; Aggressive Growth Portfolio, Manufacturing & Industry sector; Shares outstanding: 2.4 billion; Market cap: $2.9 billion; Price-to-sales ratio: 0.4; Dividend suspended in February 2015; TSINetwork Rating: Speculative; www.bombardier.com) now focuses solely on making private luxury and business jet planes following the January 2021 sale of its passenger railcar business to France’s Alstom SA. Bombardier received $3.6 billion for its stake (all amounts except share prices and market cap in U.S. dollars). That included 11.5 million Alstom shares, which it sold in 2021 for $611 million. In the three months ended March 31, 2022, the company delivered 21 planes, down from 26 a year earlier…