STUDIES IN SECURITIES
stock was $6.46 (on average outstanding) in 1923, $2.56 (while
steel prices dropped $10 a ton and operations touched 319% rate)
in 1924, $5.30 in 1925, and $7.48 in 1926. These earnings and the
prospects now support an expectation of early dividend resump-
tion. Fact that a balance has been earned for the common every
year since 1909 is a sidelight on Bethlehem management.
Capital structure of Bethlehem Steel comprises $207,906,000
funded debt (reduced $29,200,000 net since January 1, 1925 with
saving of $1,800,000 interest charge per annum) equal to $27.30
per ton of ingot capacity, $97,000,000 7% cumulative preferred
stock (simplified from three issues in 1922) or $12.70 a ton, and
$180,000,000 common stock or $23.70 a ton. Capital ahead of the
common is $23 a ton less than beginning 1922.
Comparatively with U. S. Steel, under this rule-of-thumb Bethle-
hem, rated at a third the Corporation’s capacity, has only $1
more bonds and preferred stock and $1.30 more common stock
per ton, and the bare bones of ingot capacity are filled out with
finishing capacity now something like as well; in Eastern and
Pacific markets the Sparrow’s Point, Baltimore, and South Beth-
lehem plants have a decided freight rate advantage.
At the present level (50) the Bethlehem Steel common stock equity
Is priced not materially above the lowest (37) in a decade, not-
withstanding that $164 per share applicable assets seem nearer a
dividend yield with greater earning ability for speculation.
Chicago & North Western Ry.
The map speaks better for Chicago & North Western Ry. than
do the earning statements for recent years. Of mileage 70% lies
in Wisconsin, Iowa, Illinois, Michigan, and Minnesota, and 45%
honeycombs the two first named, all intensively producing land
which is neither sparsely settled nor over-railroaded and therefore
unlike the real Northwest as it is now or the Southwest as it was.
Operation of the railroad has yielded common dividends without a
break from 1878; at 7% 1902 to 1920, and from 1880 except in
1895 never less than 5% until 1923, the total payment for which
year was 4%, the current rate, just keeping the bonds ‘‘legal’’ in-
vestments. The high prestige formerly attaching to the common
stock is seen in the record of a lowest price of 11814 in fifteen pre-
war years and a quotation above 130 as late as 1916. Adversity
dragged the shares down in 1923, 1924 and again in 1925 to a
market value less than half of par.
311
