Topic: How To Invest

Hi, Pat: I’d appreciate an update on Union Pacific. Thank you for your attention.

Article Excerpt

Union Pacific Corp., $88.25, symbol UNP on New York (Shares outstanding: 867.7 million; Market cap: $76.2 billion; www.up.com), owns Union Pacific Railroad, the largest railroad in the U.S. by track miles and revenue. Union Pacific has 31,974 miles of track serving the western two-thirds of the country. The company’s revenue mix is as follows: industrial, 20%; intermodal (merchandise in containers hauled by ship, train or truck), 20%; coal, 18%; agricultural, 17%; chemicals, 16%; and automotive, 9%. In the three months ended June 30, 2015, Union Pacific’s revenue fell 9.7%, to $5.4 billion from $6.0 billion a year earlier. Earnings per share declined 3.5%, to $1.38 from $1.43. The railway saw 6% fewer shipments in the latest quarter; coal volumes dropped 31%, industrial products fell 14% and agricultural goods slipped 7%. Automotive shipments rose 3%. The company faces a number of challenges: For one, despite the lower volumes…