Updates on CANADIAN PACIFIC RAILWAY LTD., IBM and IMPERIAL OIL

Article Excerpt

CANADIAN PACIFIC RAILWAY LTD. $56.14 (Toronto symbol CP; Shares outstanding: 168.3 million; Market cap: $9.4 billion; SI Rating: Average; Dividend yield: 1.8%) is contributing $500 million to its employee defined-benefit pension plan. The company hopes the voluntary payment to the plan will make its future pension obligations easier to manage. As of September 30, 2009, CP held cash of $615.9 million, or $3.66 a share, so it can comfortably afford this payment. The move will have little impact on CP’s earnings. The company now estimates that its 2010 pension obligation will be between $150 million and $200 million. That’s down from its earlier range of $250 million to $300 million. CP Rail is a buy. IBM $130 (New York symbol IBM; Shares outstanding: 1.3 billion; Market cap: $170.8 billion; SI Rating: Above Average; Dividend yield: 1.7%) has bought privately owned Guardium for an undisclosed sum. Guardium makes software that helps businesses protect sensitive data from intruders. Its products also help clients monitor database activity, and…