CPKC statement on UP-NS merger application filing

Rhea-AI Summary

Canadian Pacific Kansas City (TSX: CP) responded to the Union Pacific–Norfolk Southern merger application filed with the Surface Transportation Board on Dec. 19, 2025. CPKC said it has just received the lengthy filing and will review it over coming days from two perspectives: compliance with the STB Major Merger Rules and consistency with the public interest.

CPKC noted the STB must decide whether to accept the application by Jan. 18, 2026, warned the proposed merger would dramatically change the U.S. rail network, and said CPKC will actively participate and file comments per the STB schedule.

Positive

• STB acceptance decision due Jan. 18, 2026
• CPKC will participate and submit comments under STB schedule

Negative

• Merger would radically change the U.S. rail network
• Merger would pose risks to customers, employees, and supply chains

News Market Reaction – CP

-0.01%

1 alert

-0.01% News Effect

On the day this news was published, CP declined 0.01%, reflecting a mild negative market reaction.

Data tracked by StockTitan Argus on the day of publication.

Key Figures

STB acceptance deadline: Jan. 18, 2026 Major Merger Rules year: 2001

2 metrics

STB acceptance deadline Jan. 18, 2026 Deadline for STB to accept or reject the UP-NS merger application

Major Merger Rules year 2001 Year of the STB Major Merger Rules referenced by CPKC

Market Reality Check

Price: $86.29 Vol: Volume 2,830,664 is above...

normal vol

$86.29 Last Close

Volume Volume 2,830,664 is above the 20-day average of 2,090,553 ahead of this merger statement. normal

Technical Shares at 74.21 are trading below the 200-day MA of 75.5 going into this news.

Peers on Argus

CPKC is up 0.94% while key peers show mixed moves: CNI up 1.89%, CSX flat, and N...

CPKC is up 0.94% while key peers show mixed moves: CNI up 1.89%, CSX flat, and NSC/UNP down 1.01% each, suggesting a stock-specific context rather than a unified sector move.

Historical Context

5 past events · Latest: Nov 19 (Neutral)

Pattern 5 events

Date	Event	Sentiment	Move	Catalyst
Nov 19	Conference appearance	Neutral	-0.3%	CEO and SVP scheduled to speak at UBS industrials conference.
Nov 17	Operational recognition	Positive	-0.5%	Grain elevators honored for safety and loading efficiency performance.
Nov 13	Labor agreement	Positive	-0.6%	Tentative five-year deal with engineers covering about 300 employees.
Nov 05	Labor agreements	Positive	-0.4%	Thirteen tentative five-year U.S. collective agreements covering ~363 staff.
Nov 04	Conference appearance	Neutral	-0.1%	CFO scheduled to present at Scotiabank transportation conference.

Pattern Detected

Recent company announcements, including conferences, awards, and labor agreements, were generally neutral-to-positive yet were followed by small share price declines, indicating a pattern of mild negative reactions to ostensibly benign news.

Recent Company History

Over the last several months, CPKC news centered on investor outreach, operational recognition, and labor stability. Management presented at major conferences, with live webcasts offered to investors. The company highlighted grain elevator partners for safety and loading efficiency, and disclosed multiple tentative five-year collective agreements covering about 300 engineers and roughly 363 U.S. employees. Despite these stable-to-positive developments, the stock saw modest declines of less than 1% after each event, so today’s merger-related statement arrives against a backdrop of muted reactions to routine corporate updates.

Market Pulse Summary

This announcement details CPKC’s stance on the proposed UP‑NS rail merger and the Surface Transporta...

Analysis

This announcement details CPKC’s stance on the proposed UP‑NS rail merger and the Surface Transportation Board’s process, including a key Jan. 18, 2026 deadline to accept the application. The company stresses potential risks to competition, service quality, and supply chains, and intends to participate actively in the public interest review. Investors may watch how shippers, governments, and other stakeholders respond and what conditions the STB may consider during its merger assessment.

Key Terms

surface transportation board, major merger rules, public interest review

3 terms

surface transportation board regulatory

"merger application filed by Union Pacific (UP) and Norfolk Southern (NS) with the Surface Transportation Board (STB)"

A federal agency that oversees and enforces rules for freight railroads and related transport services, acting like a referee for the industry by settling disputes, reviewing rates and service complaints, and approving major changes such as mergers or line abandonments. Investors care because the board’s decisions can change a railroad’s costs, access to markets, and competitive landscape, which in turn can affect revenue, profitability and long-term investment value.

major merger rules regulatory

"Whether it complies with the Board's 2001 Major Merger Rules and provides the STB"

Major merger rules are the government requirements and review steps that large corporate takeovers must meet before they can proceed, like traffic rules for big deals that ensure they won’t harm competition or national interests. Investors care because these rules can delay, change, or block transactions and impose conditions that affect the combined company’s future profits, debt load, and stock value — similar to how a red light or detour can change travel plans and costs.

public interest review regulatory

"its public interest review will entail consideration of a broad and novel array of public interest concerns"

A public interest review is a government or regulator assessment of a proposed corporate action—such as a merger, acquisition, foreign investment, permit or service change—to decide whether it could harm safety, competition, consumers, national security or other community priorities. It matters to investors because the review can delay, block or force changes to a deal or business plan, creating legal uncertainty and potential financial impact; think of it like a safety inspection that can approve, require fixes, or stop a project.

AI-generated analysis. Not financial advice.

CALGARY, AB, Dec. 19, 2025 /PRNewswire/ - Canadian Pacific Kansas City (TSX: CP) (NYSE: CP) (CPKC) today released the following statement regarding the merger application filed by Union Pacific (UP) and Norfolk Southern (NS) with the Surface Transportation Board (STB) on Dec. 19, 2025:

CPKC has only just obtained the lengthy UP-NS merger application formally filed today and will be thoroughly reviewing it over the coming days. We will be examining the application from at least two perspectives: 

• Whether it complies with the Board's 2001 Major Merger Rules and provides the STB and interested parties an adequate basis for evaluating the public interest consequences of the UP-NS proposal.
• Whether the UP-NS proposal is consistent with the public interest.

The first step in the STB's merger review process calls for the STB to determine, by Jan. 18, 2026, whether to accept the application for consideration or to reject it as incomplete.

If the STB accepts the application, its public interest review will entail consideration of a broad and novel array of public interest concerns. Approval of this merger is not inevitable.

The proposed UP-NS merger, unprecedented in scale and scope, would radically and permanently change the U.S. rail network. If approved, the merger would pose extraordinary and far-reaching risks to customers, rail employees and broader supply chains. We are confident the STB will conduct a vigorous process to assess all of the short- and long-term public interest impacts of the proposed behemoth, including on the competition rail customers have today.

CPKC will remain an active participant in that process. We encourage all interested shippers, receivers, associations, governments and other stakeholders to closely examine the application and file their own comments with the STB. All stakeholders should express their views about how this proposed merger would affect their business, including new limitations on their rail shipping options, new risks of rate pressures, and new risks to service quality. CPKC anticipates submitting comments to the STB in accordance with the procedural schedule the STB adopts in this proceeding.

About CPKC
With its global headquarters in Calgary, Alta., Canada, CPKC is the first and only single-line transnational railway linking Canada, the United States and México, with unrivaled access to major ports from Vancouver to Atlantic Canada to the Gulf Coast to Lázaro Cárdenas, México. Stretching approximately 20,000 route miles and employing 20,000 railroaders, CPKC provides North American customers unparalleled rail service and network reach to key markets across the continent. CPKC is growing with its customers, offering a suite of freight transportation services, logistics solutions and supply chain expertise. Visit cpkcr.com to learn more about the rail advantages of CPKC. CP-IR

View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/cpkc-statement-on-up-ns-merger-application-filing-302647069.html

SOURCE CPKC

FAQ

What did CPKC say about the UP-NS merger filing on Dec. 19, 2025?

CPKC said it has just obtained the filing, will review it for STB rule compliance and public interest, and will file comments.

When must the STB decide whether to accept the UP-NS merger application for review?

The STB must decide whether to accept the application by Jan. 18, 2026.

How does CPKC expect the proposed UP-NS merger to affect the U.S. rail network?

CPKC warned the proposal would radically and permanently change the U.S. rail network and pose far‑reaching risks.

Will CPKC participate in the STB review of the UP-NS merger (TSX: CP)?

Yes. CPKC said it will be an active participant and intends to submit comments according to the STB procedural schedule.

What stakeholders did CPKC encourage to respond to the UP-NS filing?

CPKC encouraged shippers, receivers, associations, governments and other stakeholders to examine the application and file comments with the STB.