OMAHA, Neb. (AP) — Union Pacific will release its first-quarter earnings report Thursday morning, and investors will be looking to see how the railroad dealt with weak coal demand.
The analysts surveyed by FactSet expect the Omaha-based railroad to report earnings of $1.96 per share on revenue of $5.22 billion.
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That would be better than the $863 million net income, or $1.79 per share Union Pacific reported last year on revenue of $5.11 billion.
Coal demand has declined because cheap natural gas and concerns about environmental regulations prompted many utilities to switch to using natural gas where possible.
Railroad stocks declined Wednesday after CSX railroad offered a cautious prediction of relatively flat 2013 earnings.
Union Pacific operates 32,400 miles of track in 23 states from the Midwest to the West and Gulf coasts.
