iShares US Industrials
Latest iShares US Industrials News and Updates

What Happened to FedEx’s Fiscal 4Q17 Operating Margin?
FedEx’s (FDX) operating margin was 11.2% on an adjusted basis in fiscal 4Q17, representing a 0.4% fall on a YoY (year-over-year) basis.

Canadian National Railway: Does It Have a Strong Intermodal?
Canadian National Railway (CNI) is the only railway that connects the Pacific Coast, the Atlantic Coast, and the Gulf of Mexico.

Norfolk Southern’s Intermodal Slump Equitable with Rival CSX
Norfolk Southern’s (NSC) total intermodal traffic for the week ended April 30, 2016, declined by 7.6%, at nearly 73,000 containers and trailers. This compares with 79,000-plus units in the corresponding week of 2015.

Evaluating Leverage Levels of Major Railroads after Q1 2018
As of March 31, Genesee & Wyoming (GWR) had a net debt-to-forward-EBITDA multiple of 3.2x, which was much higher than the industry average of 2.1x.

Why Most Analysts Are Recommending a ‘Buy’ on Union Pacific
On Wall Street, 28 analysts rate Union Pacific (UNP) common stock. Out of the analysts, 21 of the analysts gave a “buy” recommendation.
Why the Dallas Fed report shows manufacturing continues to recover
The Dallas Fed conducts a monthly survey of manufacturers in Texas regarding their operations in the state to come out with the production index and the business activity index.

Why BNSF’s Consumer Products Revenue Slumped in 3Q16
BNSF’s Consumer Products business contributed nearly 35% of its total freight revenue in 3Q16, recording its highest share in total freight revenue.

What to Expect from Kansas City Southern’s 1Q16 Earnings
Kansas City Southern (KSU) will release its first quarter 2016 earnings before the US market opens on April 19, 2016.

How Did Canadian National Measure up to Canadian Pacific in Carloads?
Canadian National recorded a 1.4% fall in total railcars in the week ended August 6, 2016, hauling ~57,000 railcars, compared to ~57,000 units one year ago.

Where Do Old Dominion’s Capital Investments Stand among Peers?
Companies like Old Dominion have to make big investments in handling facilities, technology, and specialized vehicles to support business and logistics.

Canadian National Railway: The Class I Freight Story
So far in 2017, Canadian National Railway (CNI) has emerged as the front-runner in terms of YoY (year-over-year) carload growth among its Class I peers.

How Analysts Feel about United Parcel Service Post-2Q16
In this article, we’ll discuss what analysts are expecting for United Parcel Service (UPS) following its 2Q16 results.

Canadian Pacific Railway’s Returns in 2017
Investors should note that after the recent 3Q17 earnings, Canadian Pacific Railway (CP) was the only railroad to revise its outlook upward.

Canadian National Railway’s Volumes Rose despite Coal’s Fall
Since January 1, 2017, Canadian National Railway’s (CNI) volumes have risen the most YoY (year-over-year) among Class I railroad companies.

UTX Sikorsky segment performance for 4Q14
The Sikorsky segment saw a major win from India’s navy, which placed an order for 16 S-70B Seahawk naval helicopters.

How Did GWR’s North American Carloads Add Up in January 2016?
In January 2017, Genesee & Wyoming’s (GWR) North American traffic rose 9.1% YoY, hauling ~136,000 railcars that month.

Canadian National Railway: The Unstoppable Freight Growth Story
In the week ended April 1, 2017, Canadian National Railway saw its overall volumes rising 8.4% on a YoY basis.

Is Canadian Pacific’s Free Cash Flow Enough for Dividend Growth?
Now let’s examine the free cash flow levels of Canadian Pacfic and compare it to its arch-rival Canadian National Railway (CNI).

CSX’s 3Q17 Earnings Shine: Higher Freight Rates, Stock Up 2.6%
The eastern US rail freight carrier CSX (CSX) announced its 3Q17 earnings on October 17. The quarter marks the end of two full quarters under the leadership of Hunter Harrison.

Why Kansas City Southern’s Intermodal Revenue Slid in 1Q17
In this article, we’ll discuss Kansas City Southern’s Intermodal segment’s performance in 1Q17.

Honeywell Fell 7.5% as Business Update Spooked Investors
On October 7, Honeywell (HON) stock fell 7.5% to $106.94. This was Honeywell’s biggest one-day drop since August 2011.

Comparing Union Pacific’s Freight Volumes with the Industry in Week 33
In week 33 of 2017, Union Pacific (UNP) recorded a marginal rise of 0.6% in its railcars, excluding intermodal.

Kansas City Southern’s Carloads Rolled against the Tide, Up 6.6%
In the week ended November 5, 2016, Kansas City Southern’s (KSU) total railcars rose 6.6% compared with the corresponding period in 2015.

Which Commodity Groups Boosted Norfolk Southern’s Carloads?
Norfolk Southern’s carloads Norfolk Southern (NSC) and CSX (CSX) run a virtual duopoly in the eastern United States. In the week ended February 18, 2017, NSC’s overall railcar volumes rose 7%. There were around 68,000 railcars, compared with 63,000 in the week ended February 20, 2016. Railcar volumes, excluding coal and coke traffic, rose 5.2% YoY […]

Burlington Northern Santa Fe: A Dominant Class I Railroad
On August 4, 2017, Burlington Northern Santa Fe (or BNSF) filed a Form 10-Q with the SEC for the quarter ended June 30, 2017.

Kansas City Southern’s Coal Carloads Offered a Surprise
In the week ended July 9, 2016, Kansas City Southern’s (KSU) total railcars were down 5.8% compared with the corresponding period last year.

This Drove Canadian National’s Upward Momentum in Carloads
In 2017, Canadian National has clearly emerged as the front runner in terms of YoY carload growth among Class I peers.

How Norfolk Southern’s Carloads Stacked Up against Peers
In the week ended March 11, 2017, NSC’s overall railcar volumes rose 3%.

Coal Volume Boosts Norfolk Southern’s Carloads
Norfolk Southern’s carloads Norfolk Southern (NSC) and CSX (CSX) run a virtual duopoly in the eastern United States. In the week ended January 28, 2017, NSC’s overall railcar volumes grew 10.4%. There were over 71,000 railcars, compared with ~65,000 in the week ended January 30, 2016. Railcar volumes, excluding coal and coke traffic, rose 2.4% in […]

Comparing Norfolk Southern’s Carloads with US Railroads’ Volumes
Coal (CNX) formed 15% of NSC’s 3Q16 revenues, coming down from 23% in 2009.

Comparing Norfolk Southern’s Carloads
Norfolk Southern’s carloads In the eastern United States, Norfolk Southern (NSC) operates alongside CSX (CSX). In the week ended January 14, 2017—the second week of the year—NSC’s overall railcar volumes grew 7.5%. The number of railcars topped ~66,000, compared with 61,000 in the week ended January 16, 2016. Railcar volumes, excluding coal and coke traffic, rose […]

What does General Dynamics’ order backlog reflect?
General Dynamics’ total backlog grew from $45.9 billion at the end of 2013 and to $72.4 billion at the end of 2014. This was a whooping 58% increase.

BNSF: A Jewel in Berkshire Hathaway’s Crown
Burlington Northern Santa Fe (or BNSF) owns and operates the largest rail network in North America through its wholly owned subsidiary, BNSF Railway Company.

Canadian National’s Carloads versus Canadian Pacific’s
Canadian National’s carloads For the past few weeks, Canadian National Railway’s (CNI) carloads have been following a rising trend. In the week ended January 28, 2017, overall volumes rose 6.3% on a YoY (year-over-year) basis. In the same week, CNI’s railcar volumes rose to ~57,000 units from nearly 52,000 units in the comparable week of […]

Where Norfolk Southern’s Carloads Stand in the Industry Now
In the week ended February 25, 2017, NSC’s overall railcar volumes rose 3.6% to ~69,000 railcars.

Which Commodity Groups Pulled Down Norfolk Southern’s Carloads?
Norfolk Southern’s carloads Norfolk Southern (NSC) and CSX (CSX) run a near duopoly in the eastern United States. In the week ended December 17, 2016, NSC’s overall railcars fell 6.4%. Total railcars were above 63,000, compared with ~68,000 in the corresponding week last year. Railcars, excluding coal and coke traffic, fell 11.2% that week on […]

A Close Look at Kansas City Southern’s Carloads
Kansas City Southern’s carloads In the week ended February 18, 2017, Kansas City Southern’s (KSU) total railcars rose 12.6% from the corresponding week of 2016. In the same week, KSU hauled over 25,000 railcars, compared with 22,000 units in the week ended February 20, 2016. Carloads other than coal and coke rose 8.9% YoY (year-over-year). […]

Carload Gains Drive BNSF Railway’s Traffic in Week 23
In Week 23, Western US major rail carrier BNSF Railway’s (BRK.B) carload traffic, excluding intermodal, rose 10.2% YoY (year-over-year) to ~103,600 railcars from ~94,000.

How the Widening of Panama Canal Could Affect Union Pacific
In 1Q16, revenues from Union Pacific’s (UNP) Intermodal segment fell by 9% YoY (year-over-year) to $879 million from $967 million in 1Q15.

Union Pacific: Has Hurricane Harvey Impacted Freight Volumes?
In the week ended September 2, 2017, Union Pacific (UNP) recorded a 12.7% fall in railcar traffic.

Rise in Non-Coal Volumes Limits Fall in Kansas City Southern’s Carloads
In the week ended September 3, 2016, Kansas City Southern’s (KSU) total railcars fell by 0.75% compared with the corresponding period in 2015.

Kansas City Southern’s Carloads: Unfazed by Coal Volume Slump
In the week ended December 10, 2016, Kansas City Southern’s (KSU) total railcars rose 1.7% compared to the corresponding period in 2015.

A Summary of Kansas City Southern’s Freight Volumes in Week 9
In the ninth week of 2018, US-Mexico commerce-on-rail Kansas City Southern registered a 4% fall in its carload traffic.

How Higher Coal Volumes Are Lifting Up Norfolk Southern
In the week ended February 11, 2017, NSC’s overall railcar volumes rose 4.8%, reaching around 67,000 railcars.

Union Pacific: What Led to the Decline in Freight Volumes in Week 34?
In the week ended August 26, 2017, Union Pacific (UNP) registered a 2% decline in its overall railcars.

Norfolk Southern’s Carloads Compared to the Industry
In the week ended December 10, 2016, Norfolk Southern’s railcars fell 4.2%. Total railcars were 66,000 compared to 69,000 in the corresponding week last year.

Union Pacific: Intermodal Rise Limits Fall in Railcars in Week 36
Union Pacific (UNP) reported lower freight volumes due to the impact of Hurricane Harvey.

Why US Stocks Appear Unattractive
US stocks appear unattractive despite the recent correction. A stronger dollar (UUP) and a slowing world has negatively affected large-cap earnings.

How Mexican Markets Are Rolling with Trump’s Anti-Trade Rhetoric
Markets seem to have overcome Trump’s anti-trade rhetoric by this point in 2017, given the lost confidence in Trump’s ability to implement his promises.

Kansas City Southern’s Carloads Rolled against the Tide, Up 7.2%
In the week ended November 12, 2016, Kansas City Southern’s coal and coke railcar units fell 6%.

Why Norfolk Southern’s Carloads Increased
Norfolk Southern’s carloads In the eastern United States, Norfolk Southern (NSC) operates alongside CSX (CSX). In the week ended January 21, 2017, NSC’s overall railcar volumes grew 16.3%. The number of railcars topped 69,000, compared with ~60,000 in the week ended January 23, 2016. Railcar volumes, excluding coal and coke traffic, rose 9.6% in the reported […]

Why Kansas City Southern’s Carloads Jumped
In the week ended March 11, 2017, Kansas City Southern’s (KSU) total railcars rose 21% from the corresponding week of 2016.

Comparing Norfolk Southern’s Carloads with Industry Volumes
In the week ended December 3, 2016, NSC’s overall railcars witnessed a minor rise of 0.7%. The total railcars rose to ~69,000 in the same week against 68,000-plus units in the corresponding week in 2015.

How Do Norfolk Southern’s Carloads Compare to Other US Railroads?
In the week ended January 7, 2017, NSC’s overall railcar volumes fell 6.6%. Total railcars topped 56,000, as compared to 60,000 one year previously.

Norfolk Southern’s Carloads: Coal Could Be Bouncing Back
In the week ended February 4, 2017, NSC’s overall railcar volumes grew 8%.

Who Are Old Dominion’s Biggest LTL Competitors Today?
Old Dominion’s peer group includes LTL companies that compete in the national and regional marketplace. The company also competes with some US railroads.

Emerson Electric Looks Cheap after Its 3Q16 Results
Emerson Electric (EMR) released its fiscal 3Q16 earnings after the Market opened on August 2, 2016. It resulted in a negative price action of 4.9%.

Why Did Canadian Pacific’s Carloads Fall in the Week Ending July 9?
Canadian Pacific (CP) registered a fall of 6.8% in total railcars in the week ended July 9, 2016.

BNSF: The Largest US Class I Railroad
Burlington Northern Santa Fe (or BNSF) owns and operates the largest rail network in North America. The company manages ~32,500 route miles of track.
Stay tuned for this must-know manufacturing report this week
Since the manufacturing sector is a major source of cyclical variability in the economy, this report has a big influence on markets.

Understanding Union Pacific’s Share Repurchases in the Face of Rising Stock in 1Q16
Union Pacific’s (UNP) stock price has risen by 14.6% since the beginning of 2016, but the company continued its share repurchase program in 1Q16.

3M’s Electronics and Energy Segment: Why 1Q17 Revenue Rose
3M’s (MMM) Electronics and Energy segment is the company’s fourth-largest revenue contributor, with a revenue share of ~15.8% in 1Q17.

Norfolk Southern: Is Canadian Pacific Heading for a Proxy Fight?
On December 23, 2015, Norfolk Southern (NSC) rejected a third proposal from Canadian Pacific (CP) in the latter’s bid to acquire Norfolk Southern.

How Did Major US Railroads Fare in 1Q16?
The last day of April was the end of all major US railroads’ 1Q16 earnings season. A railroad’s health is a true mirror of the economic activities in a country.

Will Boeing’s Win Lead to Sanctions on EU?
On May 15, the WTO decided that European aircraft maker Airbus got illegal government aid in two types of jetliners.

Will Kansas City Southern Beat 1Q16 Earnings Estimates?
Analysts are expecting Kansas City Southern’s (KSU) GAAP EPS to be $0.98 per share for 1Q16.

Canadian National’s Carloads: What’s Offsetting the Coal Decline?
In the week ended January 7, 2017, CNI’s overall volumes rose 1.8% YoY. Railcar volumes rose to ~57,000 units from ~56,000 units in the first week of 2016.

How Did Norfolk Southern’s Carloads Fare at the End of July?
Norfolk Southern’s (NSC) overall railcars witnessed a 7.4% fall in the week ended July 30, 2016. Total railcars reached ~68,000 the same week.

Why Union Pacific’s Industrial Revenue Rose in 1Q17
In this article, we’ll assess Union Pacific’s (UNP) 1Q17 industrial products’ freight revenue. The Industrial segment was a main driver of UNP’s revenue rise in 1Q17.

How Do Honeywell’s Latest Valuations Compare to Peers?
At present, Honeywell stock is trading at a premium compared to peer United Technologies after HON declared strong 4Q16 and full-year earnings on January 27, 2017.

Union Pacific: Commodities that Led Freight Growth in Week 42
Union Pacific witnessed a 3.4% fall in its coal (CNX) and coke carloads in the 42nd week of 2017.

Despite Coal Downfall, Canadian National’s Carloads Kept Soaring
In 2017, Canadian National (CNI) has clearly emerged as the front runner in terms of YoY (year-over-year) carload growth among Class I peers.

Why Did Kansas City Southern’s Intermodal Revenues Fall in 1Q16?
Kansas City Southern’s intermodal revenues in 1Q16 fell to $85.1 million from $95.0 million in 1Q15. This represents a fall of 10% on a year-over-year basis.
Republican views on defense spending
The United States is known for ensuring security by constantly preparing for war. Republicans have widely opposed these defense cuts and will most likely try to reduce the defense spending limit of the U.S. government.
Why LMT is reducing its spending on research and development
LMT had a few cost reduction activities. It reduced its workforce and factory space. It also shifted its employees from defined benefit pension plans to defined contribution plans.
Lockheed Martin’s must-know growth opportunities
In terms of revenue, Lockheed Martin (LMT) is one of the largest defense contractors. Wars with Afghanistan and Iraq led to an increase in defense budgets, which has benefited LMT.
Lockheed Martin is returning value to shareholders
What’s more important to retail investors is Lockheed Martin’s commitment to return at least 50% of its free cash flow to its shareholders. It does this through dividend payouts and share buybacks.

Why the bond market is affected by the Industrial Production Index
Although the industrial sector accounts for less than 20% of GDP, it creates much of the cyclical variability in the economy.

Earnings Preview: Boeing, Caterpillar, 3M, GE, and More
Honeywell kicked off industrials earnings season, beating estimates. With Boeing, Caterpillar, 3M, GE, and more reporting soon, here’s what to expect.

Cummins Stock Up on Q3 2018 Earnings Beat
Cummins (CMI) reported its third-quarter earnings today before the markets opened. The engine manufacturer (IYJ) beat Thomson Reuters’ adjusted EPS estimate by a wide margin.

Norfolk Southern Impresses in the Third Quarter, Stock Up 2.5%
Norfolk Southern (NSC) announced its Q3 earnings this morning. NSC’s adjusted EPS of $2.52 beat the analysts’ estimate of $2.44 by 3.1%.

3M: Analysts’ Views before Its Q1 Earnings
Among the analysts tracking 3M, 32% recommended a “buy,” 47% recommended a “hold,” and 21% recommended a “sell.”

Boeing Is an Attractive Choice for Dividend Investors
Boeing (BA) has always tried to enhance shareholders’ wealth through dividend payments and share buybacks.

Goldman Sachs: Investors Should Get Defensive in 2019
Goldman Sachs’ (GS) chief equity strategist, David Kostin, expects the S&P 500 (SPY) to reach 3,000 by the end of 2019.

Illinois Tool Works: Analysts’ Recommendations
Among the 21 analysts tracking Illinois Tool Works stock, 19% recommended a “buy,” 67% recommended a “hold,” and 5% recommended a “sell.”

GE to Separate Digital Assets, Build an Independent Company
On December 13, General Electric (GE) announced that it will spin off its digital assets and build an independent company.

GE’s Lighting and Transportation Businesses Struggle
Apart from the power business, General Electric’s (GE) Transportation and Legacy segment’s lighting division has also struggled for years.

BNSF Railway Reported Strong Carload Traffic Growth
BNSF Railway (BRK.B) reported a 3.1% YoY increase in its rail traffic volume in week 47 due to strong carload traffic growth.

3M: Analysts Revised the Target Price
For 3M stock, 37% of the analysts recommended a “buy,” 42% recommended a “hold,” and 21% recommended a “sell.”

GE to Sell LED Business as Part of Restructuring Plan
Yesterday, General Electric announced it agreed to sell its Current lighting division to private equity firm American Industrial Partners.

Why United Parcel Service’s Operating Margin Declined in Q3 2018
UPS’s operating profit declined 4.7% to $1.7 billion in the third quarter from $1.8 billion in the third quarter of 2017.

Did FedEx Deliver on Operating Margins in the First Quarter?
FedEx’s adjusted operating margin contracted by ten basis points to 7% in Q1 2019 from 7.1% in the first quarter of 2018.

Analyst Recommendations for EXPD after Second-Quarter Earnings
Of the 14 analysts covering EXPD stock, ten of them have recommended a “hold,” and one has recommended a “buy.”

Expeditors International Beat Q2 Estimates, Stock Zigzags
Expeditors International of Washington (EXPD) beat analysts’ adjusted EPS estimate of $0.78 by $0.01 for the second quarter.

Are US Railroads Poised for Higher Dividend Growth in 2018?
The second quarter was good for railroad stocks from an earnings point of view. Most railroads surpassed adjusted earnings estimates.

Huge Slump in General Electric’s Q2 Earnings Drags Stock by 4.4%
General Electric (GE) announced its second-quarter results today before the market opened. The company’s net earning fell 32.7%.

April Jobs Report: More Jobs Than Job Seekers
April’s JOLTS data indicate that there were only 0.9 job seekers for every job available.

Are New Tax Rules Helping Capex Spending by Industries?
As per the latest Conference Board LEI report, the core capital goods orders for April were valued at $39.1 billion as compared to the downward revised March reading of $39.0 billion.

Boeing Declared Quarterly Cash Dividend of $1.71
Boeing (BA), the world’s largest aerospace company, declared a quarterly cash dividend of $1.71 per share on its outstanding common stock.

KLX Acquisition: Boeing’s Shot in the Arm for Global Services
On May 1, Boeing (BA) announced an agreement to acquire aerospace parts distributor KLX (KLXI) for $3.2 billion in cash.