CAE gets ready for rising demand

Article Excerpt

CAE expects global air travel volumes to rise 3.6% each year for the next decade. That’s good news for the company, which is the leading supplier of flight simulators and pilot-training services to the airline industry. In fact, CAE has roughly 70% of the global civilian simulator market. The company also continues to expand its military training operations. Steady demand for those services helps offset sales to cyclical commercial airlines. CAE INC. $28 (Toronto symbol CAE; Conservative Growth Portfolio, Manufacturing & Industry sector; Shares outstanding: 265.0 million; Market cap: $7.4 billion; Price-to-sales ratio: 2.5; Dividend yield: 1.4%; TSINetwork Rating: Average; www.cae.com) began operating in 1947 as Canadian Aviation Electronics Ltd. It originally made ground-communication equipment and antennas for the Royal Canadian Air Force. In 1952, the company began making flight simulators for air force pilots. CAE is now the world’s leading maker of simulators for both commercial (airline industry) and military aircraft. The company currently controls 70% of the global civilian flight simulator market as…