[Music] It is time for the light round by social play. And then the lighting round is over. Are you ready.Time. Let's go to Stephen New York. Steve.Hey Big Jimmy. Chill. Thank you for all you do for us. Thank you for all you do for us every day people. Every day.Thank you. I'm in a wheelchair. This is all I can do for income.I'm on margin. I know that's not good. I own 500 shares and want to add to this.To me, it seems like a patriotic purchase as well as financial. What do you think of MP. Okay.First, I wa ...

New York’s Long Island Rail Road, the biggest US commuter line, plans to run limited free bus service during rush hours if its locomotive engineers go through with a strike that could begin as soon as Sep. 18 https://t.co/o22O6S6Ty8 ...

What would the potential strike be over. What's at issue here. What's at issue is that the union and the the Union of Engine Engineers, they've been negotiating with the MTA, with LIRR and the MTA, which operates Long Island Railroad and.Or well, since February of last year, they still haven't been able to. A wage increase. They are obviously, you know, the unions want more than what the MTA is offering them.MTA saying, look, we're here to negotiate, but you guys need to sort of, you know, work with us and ...

New York’s Long Island Rail Road is facing a potential strike next week as locomotive engineers currently vote on whether to authorize a work stoppage — and Governor Kathy Hochul is blaming President Donald Trump for the growing crisis https://t.co/iIhBMU7M2d ...

The company building a high-speed passenger railroad between Southern California and Las Vegas plans to raise cash through borrowing and the sale of equity as construction costs increase https://t.co/GDOAOuUf35 ...

Exclusive: President Trump on Wednesday fired Robert Primus, a board member of the railroad regulator that is weighing the proposed megamerger between Union Pacific and Norfolk Southern. Primus said he planned to challenge the termination. https://t.co/zJ2DHQYobZ ...

Company Strengths & Market Position - The company possesses the strongest railroad network in the east, boasting the best margins, customer service, and employee engagement, indicating a valuable market position [1] - The company is uniquely positioned to collaborate with various railroads, including BNSF, due to not being exclusively paired with any single entity in the east [1] Strategic Partnerships & Growth Opportunities - The company is actively pursuing collaborative opportunities with other railroads, such as BNSF, to address challenges and foster growth [2][3] - The company aims to capture market share from the trucking industry by offering a more competitive and environmentally friendly rail transport solution [3] - The company can implement collaborative solutions with railroads like BNSF immediately, without the lengthy regulatory approval processes associated with mergers like UPNS [4] - The company anticipates demonstrating seamless service examples in the fourth quarter to attract truck model conversions [4] - The company emphasizes the partnership approach, highlighting mutual learning and growth with collaborators like BNSF [5] Regulatory & Competitive Advantages - The company avoids the risks associated with regulatory approval processes by pursuing partnerships rather than mergers [4][5]

Company Stance - Canadian Pacific Kansas City (CPKC) expresses no interest in a merger [1] Industry Concerns - Potential service disruptions are warned as deal activity increases across the rail industry [1]

Market Dynamics & Potential Deals - CSX shares experienced a 5% decrease following reports that Berkshire Hathaway is not currently interested in acquiring a railroad [2] - Prior to this, CSX shares had already fallen by over 3% due to the announcement of a partnership between BNSF and CSX, aiming to offer transcontinental rail line benefits through cooperation [2] - An activist investor, Kora, is pressuring CSX to engage in discussions with BNSF and Canadian Pacific regarding potential deals [4] - Union Pacific (UNP) did not approach CSX until after securing an exclusive agreement with Norfolk Southern [5] - Berkshire Hathaway clarified it is not currently in the market to buy a railroad [3] Regulatory & Industry Landscape - The Trump administration, through the National Surface Transportation Board, may influence potential railroad mergers [9] - The Commerce Secretary previously stated he would stay out of decisions regarding transcontinental railroad mergers, emphasizing the potential benefits of easier rail freight transport across the country [9][10] - A major joint railroad purchase hasn't occurred since 1999, highlighting concerns about the consolidation of railroads in the US [7][8] Berkshire Hathaway's Position - Berkshire Hathaway, through BNSF, possesses substantial resources to facilitate transcontinental railroad operations through cooperation rather than outright acquisitions [11] - Warren Buffett indicated a willingness to commit capital to railroad deals that are deemed sensible [13] - A significantly lower stock price for CSX could potentially alter Berkshire Hathaway's interest in a deal [16] CSX Stock Performance - CSX shares had increased by over 8% since July, driven by speculation that UNP was seeking a merger partner [14] - The stock's rise was based on anticipation of a potential offer, but potential partners are currently expressing disinterest [15]

Market Dynamics & Potential Deals - Berkshire Hathaway clarified they are not currently looking to acquire a train company, specifically CSX, despite earlier speculation [2][3] - A meeting occurred between Berkshire Hathaway representatives and CSX CEO on August 3rd, where Berkshire Hathaway expressed no intention to bid for CSX but discussed potential cooperation [3][4] - The collaboration between CSX and Burlington Northern aims to facilitate freight transport across the country without the delays associated with transferring between different train lines [5] - Berkshire Hathaway is not planning to make a competing bid against Union Pacific for other railroads [7] - The market may have been anticipating a deal involving CSX, leading to a rise in its share price, but the partnership aims to achieve synergies without a merger premium [5] Company Strategy & Financial Implications - BNSF (Burlington Northern Santa Fe), a Berkshire Hathaway subsidiary, has "unlimited resources" to invest in initiatives that make strategic sense [4] - The partnership is designed to achieve synergies similar to those of a merger, but without the need for a formal deal [4][5] - Market reaction to the news caused CSX shares to drop 3 and 3/4% [15] - Berkshire Hathaway's resistance to investing more capital in the railway sector suggests they view BNSF as sufficient exposure to the US economy [14] - CSX has a market capitalization of $62 billion, which is a relatively small amount compared to Berkshire Hathaway's cash reserves [16]