Net income was C$853 million, or C$1.04 per diluted share, compared with net income of C$705 million, or C$0.84 per diluted share, for the year-earlier quarter. The Q3-2013 results included a C$19 million (C$0.02 per diluted share) income tax expense resulting from the enactment of higher provincial corporate income tax rates. Excluding this expense, Q3-2014 diluted EPS of C$1.04 increased 21% over last year’s adjusted diluted EPS of C$0.86. Operating income for third-quarter 2014 increased 19% to C$1,286 million.
Third-quarter 2014 revenues and carloadings set all-time quarterly records, with revenues rising 16% to C$3.12 billion and carloadings increasing 11% to 147,500. Revenue ton-miles grew by 13%.
CN's operating ratio for 3Q 2014 improved by one point to 58.8% from 59.8 per cent for the year-earlier quarter. Free cash flow for the first nine months of 2014 was C$2.05 billion, up from C$1.31 billion for the comparable 2013 period of 2013.
Revenues increases for 3Q 2014 were based on grain and fertilizers (up 29%), petroleum and chemicals (up 21%), metals and minerals (up 17%), automotive (up 17%), intermodal (up 14%), and forest products (up 8%). Coal revenues declined by 3%. CN said the increase in revenues was mainly attributable to higher freight volumes due to a record Canadian grain crop; strong energy markets, particularly crude oil and frac sand; new intermodal business including temporary diversions from U.S. West Coast ports; new automotive business; the positive translation impact of the weaker Canadian dollar on U.S.-dollar-denominated revenues; and freight rate increases.
Rail freight revenue per revenue ton-mile, a measurement of yield defined as revenue earned on the movement of a ton of freight over one mile, increased by 2% over the year-earlier period, driven by the positive translation impact of the weaker Canadian dollar and freight rate increases, partly offset by an increase in the average length of haul.
Operating expenses for the quarter increased by 14% to C$1.83 billion. The increase was mainly attributable to increased purchased services and material expense, increased labor and fringe benefits expense, the negative translation impact of a weaker Canadian dollar on U.S.-dollar-denominated expenses, and higher fuel costs.
“CN delivered outstanding third-quarter financial results while improving customer service levels and maintaining industry-leading operating efficiencies,” said President and CEO Claude Mongeau. “Solid execution by our team of railroaders enabled us to accommodate the significantly higher freight volume generated by a record Canadian grain crop, strong energy markets, and new business, particularly in intermodal and automotive. The results underscore CN's commitment to investing ahead of the curve in resources and rail infrastructure and playing our role as a true backbone of the economy."
CN also announced that its Board of Directors has approved a new share repurchase program that “represents an appropriate and beneficial use of the company’s funds.” CN’s Board authorized a new normal-course-issuer bid to purchase, for cancellation, up to 28 million common shares, representing 3.9% of the 709,302,712 common shares issued and outstanding of the Company not held by insiders on Oct. 15, 2014. On that date, 814,717,092 CN common shares were issued and outstanding.
The new repurchase program, starting on Oct. 24, 2014, and ending no later than Oct. 23, 2015, will be conducted through a combination of discretionary transactions and automatic repurchase plan through the facilities of the Toronto and New York stock exchanges, or alternative trading systems, if eligible, and will conform to their regulations. Toronto Stock Exchange (TSX) rules will permit CN to purchase daily, through TSX facilities, a maximum of 256,297 common shares.
CN repurchased 22.3 million common shares under its share repurchase program announced in October 2013, at a weighted average price of C$62.87 per share, excluding brokerage fees, returning C$1.4 billion to shareholders.