(Reuters circulated the following article on February 15.)
CHICAGO — Railroad operator Burlington Northern Santa Fe Corp. sees earnings per share increasing at a “mid-teen” percentage rate in 2006 from $4.01 in 2005, a top executive said on Wednesday.
Chief Financial Officer Thomas Hund’s comments came from a transcript of a speech he gave at the BB&T Capital Markets Transportation Services Conference in Miami.
Hund said the company’s operating ratio would remain below 77 percent despite high fuel costs.
Burlington Northern will also have free cash flow of $700 million in 2006, and Hund reiterated previous company statements that return on investments would improve from the 10.1 percent recorded in 2005.
Freight revenue should grow by 10 percent to 13 percent, Hund said.