Google Finance Bnsf

Google Finance provides a platform for tracking the performance of various financial assets, including stocks, bonds, mutual funds, and market indices. While you won’t find a direct listing for “BNSF” (Burlington Northern Santa Fe) on Google Finance because it’s not a publicly traded company, understanding how to access information related to its parent company, Berkshire Hathaway, and interpret the data is crucial for anyone interested in the freight railroad industry.

BNSF Railway is a wholly owned subsidiary of Berkshire Hathaway Inc. (BRK.A and BRK.B), a multinational conglomerate headed by Warren Buffett. Therefore, to track BNSF’s financial performance indirectly through Google Finance, you need to focus on Berkshire Hathaway’s stock ticker symbols. Search for either “BRK.A” or “BRK.B” within the Google Finance search bar. BRK.A is the original, higher-priced share, while BRK.B is a lower-priced share created to make the stock more accessible to smaller investors.

Once you’ve located Berkshire Hathaway on Google Finance, you can access a wealth of information. Key data points include:

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Real-time Stock Price: This displays the current trading price of BRK.A or BRK.B shares, updated throughout the trading day.

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Price Chart: Google Finance provides interactive charts showing price fluctuations over various timeframes (daily, weekly, monthly, yearly, and custom ranges). This allows you to analyze trends and historical performance.

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Financial Summary: This section includes key financial metrics like market capitalization, price-to-earnings (P/E) ratio, earnings per share (EPS), dividend yield (if applicable), and 52-week high and low prices. While these figures represent Berkshire Hathaway as a whole, they offer insights into the overall health of the company, of which BNSF is a significant part.

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News and Analysis: Google Finance aggregates news articles and financial analysis related to Berkshire Hathaway. These articles often discuss BNSF’s performance and its impact on Berkshire’s overall results. Look for keywords like “BNSF,” “railway,” “freight,” and “Burlington Northern” within these articles.

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Related Companies: This section displays companies within similar industries. While not directly related in ownership, it can help you identify competitors in the transportation or freight sector.

Keep in mind that Berkshire Hathaway is a diverse conglomerate with holdings in various industries, including insurance (GEICO), energy (Berkshire Hathaway Energy), manufacturing (Precision Castparts), and retail (See’s Candies). Therefore, Berkshire’s stock performance is influenced by the performance of all its subsidiaries, not just BNSF. You need to carefully read news articles and financial reports to isolate the impact of BNSF’s performance on Berkshire Hathaway’s overall results.

To get a more detailed understanding of BNSF’s individual performance, you should consult Berkshire Hathaway’s annual reports and quarterly filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). These documents provide segment-level financial information, breaking down revenue and earnings by business unit, including the “Railroad” segment, which primarily represents BNSF. These filings, available on the SEC’s website (sec.gov), offer a deeper dive than what is available on Google Finance alone. Look for discussions of freight volumes, revenue per carload, operating ratio, and capital expenditures related to the railroad business.

In conclusion, while Google Finance doesn’t directly list BNSF, it provides a starting point for tracking the financial performance of its parent company, Berkshire Hathaway. Combined with careful analysis of news reports and SEC filings, you can gain valuable insights into the financial health and performance of BNSF Railway.