Stock-based compensation

3 Months Ended

Mar. 31, 2025

Share-Based Payment Arrangement [Abstract]

Stock-based compensation

Stock-based compensation

As at March 31, 2025, the Company had several stock-based compensation plans including a stock options plan, various cash-settled liability plans, and an employee share purchase plan. These plans resulted in an expense for the three months ended March 31, 2025 of $34 million (three months ended March 31, 2024 - expense of $59 million).

Stock options plan

In the three months ended March 31, 2025, under the Company’s stock options plan, the Company issued 967,335 options at the weighted-average price of $110.48 per share, based on the closing price on the grant date. Pursuant to the employee plan, these options may be exercised upon vesting, which is between 12 months and 48 months after the grant date, and will expire seven years from the grant date.

Under the fair value method, the fair value of the stock options at the grant date was approximately $28 million.

Performance share unit plans

During the three months ended March 31, 2025, the Company issued 594,802 Performance Share Units ("PSUs") with a grant date fair value of $66 million and 24,149 Performance Deferred Share Units ("PDSUs") with a grant date fair value, including the fair value of expected future matching units, of $3 million. PSUs and PDSUs attract dividend equivalents in the form of additional units based on dividends paid on the Company’s Common Shares, and vest three to four years after the grant date, contingent on the Company’s performance ("performance factor"). Vested PSUs are settled in cash. Vested PDSUs are converted into DSUs pursuant to the DSU plan, are eligible for a 25% Company match if the employee has not exceeded their Common Share ownership requirements, and are settled in cash only when the holder ceases their employment with the Company.

The performance period for all PSUs and all PDSUs granted in the three months ended March 31, 2025 is January 1, 2025 to December 31, 2027 and the performance factors are Free Cash Flow ("FCF") and Total Shareholder Return ("TSR"), compared to the S&P/TSX 60 Index, TSR compared to the S&P 500 Industrials Index, and TSR compared to Class I railways.

The performance period for all of the 415,660 PSUs and 13,506 PDSUs granted in 2022 was January 1, 2022 to December 31, 2024, and the performance factors were FCF, Adjusted net debt to Adjusted EBITDA Modifier, TSR compared to the S&P/TSX 60 Index, and TSR compared to the S&P 500 Industrials Index. The resulting payout was 120% of the outstanding units multiplied by the Company's average common share price calculated based on the last 30 trading days preceding December 31, 2024. In the first quarter of 2025, payouts were $48 million on 381,759 PSUs, including dividends reinvested. The 9,774 PDSUs that vested on December 31, 2024, with a fair value of $2 million, including dividends reinvested and matching units, will be paid out in future reporting periods pursuant to the DSU plan (as described above).