Union Pacific (UNP) NYSE

On May 16, 2014 tthe Union Pacific (UNP) board announced a stock split of 2 for1, the split to take place on June 6, 2014.

This will double the stock of the company available and also double the holdings of current stock holders.

I am a long term holder of UNP, it is the largest railroad owner in the US West of the Mississippi, controlling a wide range of transport route into and out of the U.S.A. and being a major player in international trade routes.

Union Pacific 2014 Stock Split.

On the Rails

As you may know from other posts I am in favor of railroad stocks in the current economic climate.

Yesterday I had to use the train to travel to an appointment. My Amtrak train was delayed by fifteen minutes.

This may come to some as a cause to complain. For me it turned into a research opportunity.

The cause of the delay was the movement of three very long and full Burlington Northern and Santa Fe freight trains. Two were heading south through Central California, possibly to Los Angeles and San Diego. The third train was equally as long as the other two, stacked to double capacity on all of its cars with lots of CSX containers. Possibly bringing goods up to Northern California to be distributed across the mid-west and Eastern seaboard.

Just a few months ago, it was rare to see one long freight train as large as these, I estimate a mile long each, and when you did see a freight train it often had dozens of empty cars.

Of course three full trains a recovery, doesn't make. But with the visual evidence of goods moving and rail companies being able to move lots of goods at lower costs I am still happy to invest in railroads.

For the requirement of disclosure, I hold stock in Union Pacific Railroad (UNP) and CSSX (CSX).

So as you walk around or drive, keep an eye on trends you never know what opportunities for research lie in plain sight.

Bloomberg TV or CNBC?

As an investor information is important to me.

But where to turn for good information  that is a big question.

For me the answer actually came in hospital in the Fall of 2012.  I did not have my phone with me, nor did I have a watch so telling the time was difficult. Regular stations on the TV do not give regular time updates and skimming the stations one day I came across Bloomberg TV.

Not only did they tell me the time every half hour or so but I found their news coverage of the markets more interesting than my usual fare on CNBC.

Bloomberg though it does sometimes seem to focus upon its own magazine editorials reported items in a less catastrophic way.  CNBC often tended to the "sky is falling, sell now" style of reporting.

CNBC reports are also full of  "tips". " buy tjis now" "sell this immediately." Bloomberg has less of this kind of reporting.

One particular item that took my eye last year was a five part piece, a series of reports which showed operations on the Union Pacific Railroad (UNP) There was some financial news on the company but, for a train lover, lots of great footage of the reporter riding the trains, interviewing the rolling stock managers in marshalling yards. OK fun stuff, but also valuable information if the rolling stock manager tells you that they are moving X amount of goods more this quarter over the last years movement. You learn alot watching trains.

CNBC is tied to the studio and reporters seem to drive for the tip without any back-up for the investor to gain crucial information.

For me now Bloomberg TV is the main source of information on a daily basis.

You can also log into Bloomberg TV through the iPhone and iPad app available at the Apple Appstore