Summary
Norfolk Southern Corporation (NSC) reported its first-quarter 2014 results, showing a decrease in net income and diluted earnings per share compared to the same period in 2013. The company's railway operating revenues declined by 2%, largely due to lower coal volumes and the impact of severe weather, which offset growth in intermodal and general merchandise businesses. Operating expenses were relatively flat, but the operating ratio slightly increased, indicating less efficient cost management. Despite these top-line and profitability headwinds, NSC maintained a strong liquidity position with significant cash and cash equivalents and a manageable debt-to-capitalization ratio.
Financial Highlights
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Financial Statements
Beta
| Revenue | $2.69B |
| Operating Expenses | $2.02B |
| Operating Income | $667.00M |
| Interest Expense | $139.00M |
| Net Income | $368.00M |
| EPS (Basic) | $1.18 |
| EPS (Diluted) | $1.17 |
Key Highlights
- 1Net income for Q1 2014 was $368 million, down 18% from $450 million in Q1 2013. Diluted EPS fell to $1.17 from $1.41.
- 2Railway operating revenues decreased by 2% to $2.69 billion, primarily driven by a 15% drop in coal revenues and 1% decline in general merchandise revenues, partially offset by a 4% increase in intermodal revenues.
- 3Operating expenses decreased by 1% to $2.02 billion, mainly due to lower compensation and benefits (down 5%), partly offset by higher weather-related expenses.
- 4The railway operating ratio increased to 75.2% in Q1 2014 from 74.8% in Q1 2013, suggesting a slight decrease in operational efficiency.
- 5Cash flow from operating activities was $588 million, down from $723 million in the prior year, impacted by lower operating income and higher tax payments.
- 6The company repurchased 0.5 million shares of common stock for $50 million in Q1 2014 and continues to pay a quarterly dividend of $0.54 per share.
- 7Environmental liabilities were reported at $57 million, with the company stating that known matters are unlikely to have a material adverse effect on financial position.
Frequently Asked Questions
The decrease was primarily attributed to the absence of a $60 million gain from the sale of assets in the prior year's quarter, coupled with lower coal volumes and adverse impacts from severe winter weather on operations. These factors led to a 2% decline in railway operating revenues.
Severe winter weather significantly impacted operations, leading to lower network velocity, equipment shortages, increased fuel consumption, and higher operating expenses, estimated at approximately $45 million. This adversely affected volumes and revenues in several segments, particularly coal and automotive.
The company anticipates lower coal revenues for the remainder of the year due to expected lower volumes and average revenue per unit. However, General Merchandise and Intermodal segments are expected to see revenue increases due to higher volumes and improved average revenue per unit.
Norfolk Southern maintained a strong liquidity position with $1.5 billion in cash, cash equivalents, and short-term investments at the end of the quarter. Cash from operations was sufficient to cover capital expenditures, dividends, debt repayments, and share repurchases. The total debt-to-capitalization ratio stood at 44.4%.