There is arguably no better economic indicator than following demand trends from the largest railroad operators in the United States. Railroads, such as Warren Buffett-owned Burlington Northern and rivals Union Pacific (UNP) and CSX (CSX), haul everything from car parts to steel to coal to food. Therefore, whether the economy is doing badly or well is often captured in the top and bottom lines of railroads, more so than in wonky, backward-looking economic data from the government. With tariffs from the Trump administration starting to weigh on the economy, investors would be wise to check in on railroad operating performance. That’s just what the Yahoo team has done. Yahoo Finance Executive Editor Brian Sozzi sits down on the Opening Bid podcast with CSX Corp.'s Joe Hinrichs to discuss current business trends amid the Trump tariff war. Hinrichs has a very unique view of the tariff situation, as he was a long-time top executive at Ford tasked with running its global operations. Are railroads predicting a recession? Does Trump’s ‘Made in America’ focus spell opportunity for railroads long-term? Sozzi and Hinrichs dig in!

Yahoo Finance's Opening Bid, brings you a high-octane take on the freshest analyst calls, wildest stock moves and shrewdest commentary in the business world. Executive Editor Brian Sozzi puts Wall Street's finest through their paces in this essential conversation for every investor - before the stock market opens.

Find this episode's transcripts and more episodes of Opening Bid at http://finance.yahoo.com/videos/series/opening-bid/.

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Yahoo Finance's Opening Bid is hosted by Brian Sozzi, and produced by Langston Sessoms

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