UNITED STATES

SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION

WASHINGTON, D.C. 20549

FORM 10-Q

(Mark One)

 

For the quarterly period ended September 30, 2015

 

OR

 

 

For the transition period from __________ to ____________

 

Commission File Number 1-6075

 

UNION PACIFIC CORPORATION

(Exact name of registrant as specified in its charter)

 

 

1400 DOUGLAS STREET, OMAHA, NEBRASKA

(Address of principal executive offices)

68179

(Zip Code)

(402) 544-5000

(Registrant’s telephone number, including area code)

 

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant (1) has filed all reports required to be filed by Section 13 or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 during the preceding 12 months (or for such shorter period that the registrant was required to file such reports), and (2) has been subject to such filing requirements for the past 90 days.

☒ Yes     ☐ No

 

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant has submitted electronically and posted on its corporate Web site, if any, every Interactive Data File required to be submitted and posted pursuant to Rule 405 of Regulation S-T (§232.405 of this chapter) during the preceding 12 months (or for such shorter period that the registrant was required to submit and post such files).

☒ Yes     ☐ No

 

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is a large accelerated filer, an accelerated filer, a non-accelerated filer, or a smaller reporting company.  See the definitions of “large accelerated filer,” “accelerated filer” and “smaller reporting company” in Rule 12b-2 of the Exchange Act.

 

 

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is a shell company (as defined in Rule 12b-2 of the Act).

 

☐ Yes     ☒ No

 

As of October 16,  2015, there were 854,120,634 shares of the Registrant's Common Stock outstanding.

 

 

 

 

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TABLE OF CONTENTS

UNION PACIFIC CORPORATION

AND SUBSIDIARY COMPANIES

 

PART I. FINANCIAL INFORMATION 

 

 

PART II. OTHER INFORMATION 

 

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PART I. FINANCIAL INFORMATION

 

Item 1. Condensed Consolidated Financial Statements

 

Condensed Consolidated Statements of Income (Unaudited)

Union Pacific Corporation and Subsidiary Companies

 

 

 

 

Condensed Consolidated Statements of Comprehensive Income (Unaudited)

Union Pacific Corporation and Subsidiary Companies

 

 

 

[a] Net of deferred taxes of $(3) million and $3 million during the three months ended September 30, 2015, and 2014, respectively.

The accompanying notes are an integral part of these unaudited Condensed Consolidated Financial Statements.

 

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Condensed Consolidated Statements of Income (Unaudited)

Union Pacific Corporation and Subsidiary Companies

 

 

 

 

Condensed Consolidated Statements of Comprehensive Income (Unaudited)

Union Pacific Corporation and Subsidiary Companies

 

 

 

[a] Net of deferred taxes of $1 million and $20 million during the nine months ended September 30, 2015, and 2014, respectively.

The accompanying notes are an integral part of these unaudited Condensed Consolidated Financial Statements.

 

 

 

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Condensed Consolidated Statements of Financial Position (Unaudited)

Union Pacific Corporation and Subsidiary Companies

 

 

 

The accompanying notes are an integral part of these unaudited Condensed Consolidated Financial Statements.

 

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Condensed Consolidated Statements of Cash Flows (Unaudited)

Union Pacific Corporation and Subsidiary Companies

 

 

 

The accompanying notes are an integral part of these unaudited Condensed Consolidated Financial Statements.

 

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Condensed Consolidated Statements of Changes in Common Shareholders’ Equity (Unaudited)

Union Pacific Corporation and Subsidiary Companies

 

 

 

[a]AOCI = Accumulated Other Comprehensive Income/(Loss) (Note 9)

The accompanying notes are an integral part of these unaudited Condensed Consolidated Financial Statements.

 

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UNION PACIFIC CORPORATION AND SUBSIDIARY COMPANIES

 

NOTES TO THE CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS

 

(Unaudited)

 

For purposes of this report, unless the context otherwise requires, all references herein to the “Corporation”, “Company”, “UPC”, “we”, “us”, and “our” mean Union Pacific Corporation and its subsidiaries, including Union Pacific Railroad Company, which will be separately referred to herein as “UPRR” or the “Railroad”.

 

1. Basis of Presentation

 

Our Condensed Consolidated Financial Statements are unaudited and reflect all adjustments (consisting of normal and recurring adjustments) that are, in the opinion of management, necessary for their fair presentation in conformity with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America (GAAP). Pursuant to the rules and regulations of the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), certain information and note disclosures normally included in financial statements prepared in accordance with GAAP have been condensed or omitted. Accordingly, this Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q should be read in conjunction with our Consolidated Financial Statements and notes thereto contained in our 2014 Annual Report on Form 10-K. Our Consolidated Statement of Financial Position at December 31, 2014, is derived from audited financial statements. The results of operations for the nine months ended September 30, 2015, are not necessarily indicative of the results for the entire year ending December 31, 2015.

 

The Condensed Consolidated Financial Statements are presented in accordance with GAAP as codified in the Financial Accounting Standards Board (FASB) Accounting Standards Codification (ASC). Certain prior period amounts have been disaggregated to provide more detail and conform to the current period financial statement presentation.  

 

2. Accounting Pronouncements

 

In May 2014, the FASB issued Accounting Standards Update No. 2014-09 (ASU 2014-09), Revenue from Contracts with Customers (Topic 606). ASU 2014-09 supersedes the revenue recognition guidance in Topic 605, Revenue Recognition. The core principle of the guidance is that an entity should recognize revenue to depict the transfer of promised goods and services to customers in an amount that reflects the consideration to which the entity expects to be entitled in the exchange for those goods or services. This standard is effective for annual reporting periods beginning after December 15, 2017. ASU 2014-09 is not expected to have a material impact on our consolidated financial position, results of operations, or cash flows.

 

In April 2015, the FASB issued Accounting Standards Update No. 2015-03 (ASU 2015-03), Interest - Imputation of Interest (Subtopic 835-30). ASU 2015-03 changes the presentation of debt issuance costs in the financial statements to present such costs as a direct deduction from the related debt liability rather than as an asset. Amortization of debt issuance costs will be reported as interest expense. This standard is effective for annual reporting periods beginning after December 15, 2015. ASU 2015-03 will not have a material impact on our consolidated financial position, results of operations, or cash flows.

 

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3. Operations and Segmentation

 

The Railroad, along with its subsidiaries and rail affiliates, is our one reportable operating segment. Although we provide and analyze revenue by commodity group, we treat the financial results of the Railroad as one segment due to the integrated nature of our rail network. The following table provides freight revenue by commodity group:

 

 

Although our revenues are principally derived from customers domiciled in the U.S., the ultimate points of origination or destination for some products transported by us are outside the U.S. Each of our commodity groups includes revenue from shipments to and from Mexico. Included in the above table are revenues from our Mexico business which amounted to $554 million and $579 million, respectively, for the three months ended September 30, 2015, and September 30, 2014 and $1.7 billion for both the nine months ended September 30, 2015, and September 30, 2014.

 

4. Stock-Based Compensation

 

We have several stock-based compensation plans under which employees and non-employee directors receive stock options, nonvested retention shares, and nonvested stock units. We refer to the nonvested shares and stock units collectively as “retention awards”. We have elected to issue treasury shares to cover option exercises and stock unit vestings, while new shares are issued when retention shares are granted. Information regarding stock-based compensation appears in the table below:

 

 

Stock Options – We estimate the fair value of our stock option awards using the Black-Scholes option pricing model. The table below shows the annual weighted-average assumptions used for valuation purposes:

 

 

The risk-free rate is based on the U.S. Treasury yield curve in effect at the time of grant; the dividend yield is calculated as the ratio of dividends paid per share of common stock to the stock price on the date

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of grant; the expected life is based on historical and expected exercise behavior; and volatility is based on the historical volatility of our stock price over the expected life of the option.

 

A summary of stock option activity during the nine months ended September 30, 2015, is presented below:

 

Stock options are granted at the closing price on the date of grant, have ten-year contractual terms, and vest no later than three years from the date of grant. None of the stock options outstanding at September 30, 2015, are subject to performance or market-based vesting conditions.

 

At September 30, 2015, there was $21 million of unrecognized compensation expense related to nonvested stock options, which is expected to be recognized over a weighted-average period of 1.3 years. Additional information regarding stock option exercises appears in the table below:

 

 

Retention Awards – The fair value of retention awards is based on the closing price of the stock on the grant date. Dividends and dividend equivalents are paid to participants during the vesting periods.

 

Changes in our retention awards during the nine months ended September 30, 2015, were as follows:

 

 

Retention awards are granted at no cost to the employee or non-employee director and vest over periods lasting up to four years. At September 30, 2015, there was $101 million of total unrecognized compensation expense related to nonvested retention awards, which is expected to be recognized over a weighted-average period of 1.7 years.

 

Performance Retention Awards – In February 2015, our Board of Directors approved performance stock unit grants. Other than different performance targets, the basic terms of these performance stock units are identical to those granted in February 2013, and February 2014, including using annual return on invested capital (ROIC) as the performance measure. We define ROIC as net operating profit adjusted for interest expense (including interest on the present value of operating leases) and taxes on interest divided by average invested capital adjusted for the present value of operating leases.

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Stock units awarded to selected employees under these grants are subject to continued employment for 37 months and the attainment of certain levels of ROIC. We expense the fair value of the units that are probable of being earned based on our forecasted ROIC over the 3-year performance period. We measure the fair value of these performance stock units based upon the closing price of the underlying common stock as of the date of grant, reduced by the present value of estimated future dividends. Dividend equivalents are paid to participants only after the units are earned.

 

The assumptions used to calculate the present value of estimated future dividends related to the February 2015 grant were as follows:

 

 

Changes in our performance retention awards during the nine months ended September 30, 2015, were as follows:

 

 

At September 30, 2015, there was $25 million of total unrecognized compensation expense related to nonvested performance retention awards, which is expected to be recognized over a weighted-average period of 0.9 years. This expense is subject to achievement of the ROIC levels established for the performance stock unit grants.

 

5. Retirement Plans

 

Pension and Other Postretirement Benefits

 

Pension Plans – We provide defined benefit retirement income to eligible non-union employees through qualified and non-qualified (supplemental) pension plans. Qualified and non-qualified pension benefits are based on years of service and the highest compensation during the latest years of employment, with specific reductions made for early retirements.

 

Other Postretirement Benefits (OPEB) – We provide medical and life insurance benefits for eligible retirees. These benefits are funded as medical claims and life insurance premiums are paid.

 

Expense

 

Both pension and OPEB expense are determined based upon the annual service cost of benefits (the actuarial cost of benefits earned during a period) and the interest cost on those liabilities, less the expected return on plan assets. The expected long-term rate of return on plan assets is applied to a calculated value of plan assets that recognizes changes in fair value over a five-year period. This practice is intended to reduce year-to-year volatility in pension expense, but it can have the effect of delaying the recognition of differences between actual returns on assets and expected returns based on long-term rate of return assumptions. Differences in actual experience in relation to assumptions are not recognized in net income immediately, but are deferred in accumulated other comprehensive income and, if necessary, amortized as pension or OPEB expense.

 

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The components of our net periodic pension cost were as follows:

 

 

The components of our net periodic OPEB cost were as follows:

 

 

Cash Contributions

 

For the nine months ended September 30, 2015, we made $100 million of cash contributions to the qualified pension plan. Any additional contributions made in the fourth quarter of 2015 will be based on cash generated from operations and financial market considerations. Our policy with respect to funding the qualified plans is to fund at least the minimum required by law and not more than the maximum amount deductible for tax purposes. At September 30, 2015, we do not have minimum cash funding requirements for 2015.

 

6. Other Income

 

Other income included the following:

 

 

 

[a] 2015 includes $113 million related to a real estate sale in the second quarter.

[b] 2014 includes $14 million related to the sale of a permanent easement in the first quarter.

 

7. Income Taxes

 

Internal Revenue Service (IRS) examinations have been completed and settled for all years prior to 2011, and the statute of limitations bars any additional tax assessments. UPC is not currently under audit by the Internal Revenue Service. 

 

In the third quarter of 2015, UPC and the IRS signed a closing agreement resolving all tax matters for tax years 2009-2010.  The settlement had an immaterial effect on our income tax expense. In connection with the settlement, UPC will pay $10 million in the fourth quarter of 2015.

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Several state tax authorities are examining our state income tax returns for years 2006 through 2010.

 

At September 30, 2015, we had a net liability for unrecognized tax benefits of $73 million. Of that amount, $12 million is classified as a current liability in the Condensed Consolidated Statements of Financial Position.

 

8. Earnings Per Share

 

The following table provides a reconciliation between basic and diluted earnings per share:

 

 

9. Accumulated Other Comprehensive Income/(Loss)

 

Reclassifications out of accumulated other comprehensive income/(loss) for the three and nine months ended September 30, 2015, and 2014, were as follows (net of tax):

 

 

[a] The accumulated other comprehensive income/(loss) reclassification components are 1) prior service cost/(benefit) and 2) net actuarial loss which are both included in the computation of net periodic pension cost. See Note 5 Retirement Plans for additional details.

 

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[a] The accumulated other comprehensive income/(loss) reclassification components are 1) prior service cost/(benefit) and 2) net actuarial loss which are both included in the computation of net periodic pension cost. See Note 5 Retirement Plans for additional details.

 

10. Accounts Receivable

 

Accounts receivable includes freight and other receivables reduced by an allowance for doubtful accounts. The allowance is based upon historical losses, credit worthiness of customers, and current economic conditions. At September 30, 2015, and December 31, 2014, our accounts receivable were reduced by $4 million and $5 million, respectively. Receivables not expected to be collected in one year and the associated allowances are classified as other assets in our Condensed Consolidated Statements of Financial Position. At September 30, 2015, and December 31, 2014, receivables classified as other assets were reduced by allowances of $13 million and $16 million, respectively.

 

Receivables Securitization Facility – The Railroad maintains a $650 million, 3-year receivables securitization facility maturing in July 2017 under which it sells most of its eligible third-party receivables to Union Pacific Receivables, Inc. (UPRI), a wholly-owned, bankruptcy-remote subsidiary that may subsequently transfer, without recourse, an undivided interest in accounts receivable to investors. The investors have no recourse to the Railroad’s other assets except for customary warranty and indemnity claims. Creditors of the Railroad do not have recourse to the assets of UPRI.

 

The amount outstanding under the facility was $400 million at both September 30, 2015, and December 31, 2014. The facility was supported by $1.1 billion and $1.2 billion of accounts receivable as collateral at September 30, 2015, and December 31, 2014, respectively, which, as a retained interest, is included in accounts receivable, net in our Condensed Consolidated Statements of Financial Position.

 

The outstanding amount the Railroad is allowed to maintain under the facility, with a maximum of $650 million, may fluctuate based on the availability of eligible receivables and is directly affected by business volumes and credit risks, including receivables payment quality measures such as default and dilution ratios. If default or dilution ratios increase one percent, the allowable outstanding amount under the facility would not materially change.

 

The costs of the receivables securitization facility include interest, which will vary based on prevailing benchmark and commercial paper rates, program fees paid to participating banks, commercial paper issuance costs, and fees of participating banks for unused commitment availability. The costs of the receivables securitization facility are included in interest expense and were $1 million for both the three months ended September 30, 2015, and 2014, and $4 million and $3 million for the nine months ended September 30, 2015, and 2014, respectively.

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11. Properties

 

The following tables list the major categories of property and equipment, as well as the weighted average estimated useful life for each category (in years):

 

 

 

 

[a]Other roadway includes grading, bridges and tunnels, signals, buildings, and other road assets.

 

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12. Accounts Payable and Other Current Liabilities