What happened
Shares of railroad operator CSX Corporation (CSX +0.14%) are down 9.8% as of 2:12 p.m. EDT after the company reported second-quarter 2019 earnings results last night that fell short of expectations.
Analysts had forecast that CSX would earn $1.10 per share on sales of $3.14 billion. Instead, CSX earned $1.08 per share in its fiscal Q2 on sales of $3.06 billion.
Image source: Getty Images.
So what
However, this is not to say that earnings were "bad," necessarily. Although $1.08 per share was less than Street analysts had hoped CSX would earn, these profits were still up 7% in comparison to last year's Q2. And this was despite a 1% year-over-year decline in revenue.
CSX CEO James Foote credited a 3% reduction in costs and "continued efficiency gains and volume-related savings" for keeping profits growing even in the face of a sales slip.
Now what
So why is CSX stock trading down? I blame guidance.
Heading into Q2, analysts were forecasting that CSX's sales would rise 1% or 2% this year, helping to keep the earnings growth going. However, in the postearnings conference call, Foote warned that instead of rising, revenues will probably fall 1% or 2% this year.
This warning raises the possibility that Q2 won't be the last quarter in which CSX "misses earnings" -- it could continue to miss all year long.
No wonder investors are worried. No wonder investors are...selling.
