Jennifer Hamann
Analyst · Scott Group with Wolfe Research
Thank you, Kenny, and good morning. As you heard from Lance earlier, Union Pacific is reporting second quarter earnings per share of $1.67 and a quarterly operating ratio of 61%. Looking a little deeper at our second quarter results compared to 2019, there are a couple of items I'd like to call out. Last year, we incurred higher weather-related expenses that negatively impacted the quarter. And in second quarter 2020, we received the final insurance recovery of $25 million related to 2019 weather. Together, these items favorably impacted our year-over-year operating ratio, 90 basis points and earnings per share by $0.05. Additionally, you'll recall that we received a payroll tax refund in second quarter 2019 that added $0.04 to earnings per share and benefited the operating ratio by 70 basis points. Fuel provided a significant tailwind in the quarter as the year-over-year fuel price reduction favorably impacted our quarterly operating ratio 270 basis points and added $0.09 to earnings per share. While today's low fuel prices do provide a short term benefit, we prefer the trade-off of higher prices, coupled with increased business. Looking at our core results, we took a step back on our operating ratio in the quarter, which deteriorated 430 basis points with the corresponding reduction in earnings per share of $0.72. Despite our swift and strong actions to cut costs and drive productivity, we could not fully offset the impact of the steep volume decline we experienced at the start of the second quarter. Finally, our quarterly results include recognition of $69 million related to a real estate sale with the Illinois Tollway. While the sale does not impact our quarterly operating ratio, it added $0.07 to second quarter EPS. So all in, really solid results for our railroad despite some extraordinary circumstances. Looking now at our second quarter income statement. 2020 operating revenue totaled $4.2 billion, down 24% versus last year on a 20% year-over-year volume decline. Demonstrating our ability to adjust cost with volume, operating expense decreased 22% to $2.6 billion. These results net to operating income of nearly $1.7 billion, a 27% decrease versus 2019. Other income of $131 million includes the real estate sale I just mentioned. Interest expense increased 12% due to increased debt levels, while income tax expense was lower, down 25% as a result of lower pretax quarterly income. Net income of $1.1 billion declined 28% versus last year, which when combined with the impact of our share repurchase activity, led to a 25% decrease in earnings per share to $1.67. Taking a more close look at second quarter revenue. Slide 15 provides a breakdown of our freight revenue, which totaled $4 billion, down 24% versus last year. Although the revenue decline was primarily driven by the 20% reduction in volume, the combination of price and mix negatively impacted revenue by about 2.25 points. The results of our pricing actions were positive in the quarter and continued to yield dollars in excess of inflation. However, those gains were more than offset by negative business mix related to steep declines in second quarter automotive, sand and crude volumes. In addition, a 43% decrease in diesel fuel prices in the quarter versus last year partially offset by the roughly 2 month lag in our fuel surcharge recovery programs impacted freight revenue by 2.25 points. Now let's move to Slide 16, which provides a summary of our second quarter operating expenses. As you saw in Kenny's carloading chart, we experienced a pretty dramatic change in our business volumes through the quarter, dipping as low as 120,007 day carloads in April and then peaking near 150,000 to close the quarter. In the face of the volume decline, we reacted quickly to manage costs and adjust resources while still providing our customers with an excellent service product. As a result of these efforts, second quarter expenses were around 85% volume variable on a fuel adjusted basis, a strong achievement for the entire UP team, especially when you consider that we exited the quarter more rightsized than we entered it. In terms of the different expense lines, compensation and benefits expense decreased 21% year-over-year, primarily as a result of workforce reductions and productivity initiatives. Second quarter workforce levels declined 22% or about 8,600 full-time equivalents versus last year and sequentially decreased 11%. As Jim mentioned earlier, our train and engine workforce was more than volume-variable, down 32%, while management, engineering and mechanical workforces together decreased 17%. Fuel expense decreased 56% as a result of the significantly lower diesel fuel prices and lower volumes in the quarter, while our consumption rate was basically flat year-over-year. Purchase services and materials expense fell 23% in the quarter, as we used our locomotive fleet more productively, enabling us to store more locomotives and maintain a smaller active fleet. In addition, our loop subsidiary incurred less drayage expense as a result of auto plant shutdowns and lower intermodal volumes. Equipment and other rents declined 19%, led by car higher savings and lower lease expense for both locomotives and freight cars. We are continuing to use freight cars more productively as evidenced by our gains in freight car velocity and terminal dwell. Other expense was only down 5% in the quarter, reflecting the somewhat fixed cost nature of this expense line. Although we benefited from running a safer railroad in the second quarter and saw reduced business travel expense, those savings were partially offset by lease impairments, lower equity income from our FXE investment and increases in state and local taxes, which makes up the majority of this cost category. The insurance recovery I mentioned earlier is also reflected in these results. Looking now at productivity. We generated strong net productivity, totaling approximately $185 million in the second quarter. As Jim mentioned earlier, the operating department's continued progress on train length initiatives, balanced with an improved service product, was especially impressive this quarter, given the severe volume decline. And while we have already achieved the low end of the full year productivity range provided back in April, we do expect the pace of our productivity efforts to moderate some against a tougher second half comparison. We had a tailwind from weather events in the first half of 2019, which contrasts sharply with last year's strong second half productivity of $360 million. Nonetheless, our commitment to continued productivity is unwavering, and we now expect to exceed $500 million for full year 2020. Moving on to cash and liquidity. As we've discussed previously, Union Pacific's strong balance sheet, our ability to generate cash and available liquidity enabled us to navigate the pandemic cost business fall off and remain in a position of strength. Cash from operations in the first half of 2020 increased 13% versus 2019 to $4.4 billion. Free cash flow after capital investments totaled nearly $2.8 billion, resulting in a 107% cash conversion rate, which was helped a bit by first half income tax payment deferrals. We finished the quarter at an adjusted debt-to-EBITDA ratio of 2.9x as we continue to main strong investment-grade credit ratings from both Standard & Poor's and Moody's. Cash on hand at the end of the quarter was $2.7 billion. Now this balance is more than we would typically hold and includes $300 million of short-term borrowing completed earlier in the second quarter to bolster our liquidity as well as the nearly $600 million in deferred tax payments I just referenced. Finally, in the second quarter, we returned value to our shareholders through our industry-leading quarterly dividend payout and remain committed to providing strong cash returns to our owners. Turning now to our second half outlook. Although some items are more certain today than when we reported first quarter earnings back in April, there are still many unknowns. You just heard Kenny talk with some optimism about our second half 2020 business volumes, which are foundational to our guidance update. Assuming we maintain a consistent volume trend and we do not experience the second wave of economic shutdowns, we expect our full year volumes to be down 10% or so. As I pointed out earlier, we expect productivity to exceed $500 million for full year 2020. And with regard to pricing, our long-standing guidance is unchanged. We expect the total dollars generated from our pricing actions to exceed rail inflation costs. Although we are facing a very competitive marketplace today, we are committed to making sure each piece of business we move is earning an adequate return. Together, our expectations for volume, price and productivity should produce year-over-year operating ratio improvement on a full year basis in 2020. While the year certainly isn't playing out the way we had earlier anticipated, we are very pleased by both our ability to manage costs in the downturn, as well as how we are now handling increased freight demand without adding back cost on a one-for-one basis. In terms of cash generation and capital allocation, we are more bullish on both given our current outlook. Full year capital expenditures will likely come in a little more than $2.9 billion as we continue to make good progress on our renewal and productivity investments. We plan to maintain the dividend, but we are still paused as to share repurchases. We all see the news of COVID cases spiking in various parts of the U.S. and globally. So we plan to stay in a conservative posture for now. Longer term, our guidance of capital expenditures below 15% of revenue, a dividend payout ratio of 40% to 45% of earnings and ultimately, a 55% operating ratio remain intact. Now before I turn it back to Lance, I would like to thank the exceptional employees of Union Pacific who continue to meet the service needs of our customers during this pandemic. They are leading the charge daily towards our collective goal of operating the safest, most efficient and most reliable railroad in North America. So with that, I'll turn it back to Lance.