(BRK.A), (BRK.B)
BNSF Railway’s carloads for 2019 have continued their downward trend as compared to 2018. The decline is due in part to a major decrease in coal shipments.
Coal shipments as of the week ending April 13, 2019, are down 10.25% over the same period last year, and combined intermodal and carloads numbers are down 5.15% in the aggregate.
Also, showing weaker numbers are grain shipments, which are down 12.85%, and shipments of motor vehicles are down 5.51%.
2018 was a strong year for BNSF, with the combined carloads including intermodal up 4.03% over 2017, however 2019’s numbers have been hurt by weak global demand for coal and severe flooding in the Midwest that has closed some routes and slowed others.
© 2019 David Mazor
Disclosure: David Mazor is a freelance writer focusing on Berkshire Hathaway. The author is long in Berkshire Hathaway, and this article is not a recommendation on whether to buy or sell the stock. The information contained in this article should not be construed as personalized or individualized investment advice. Past performance is no guarantee of future results.