Class I merger talk comes back to center stage as the Wall Street Journal reports Union Pacific is in early discussions with Norfolk Southern. We hosted a call with Littlejohn & Co.

CSX Corp. stock is up on reports that Union Pacific is interested in buying the Jacksonville-headquartered railroad company. CSX Corp.’s stock rose to its highest level of the year July 17 after a report that Union Pacific Corp. is seeking to buy one of the two major eastern railroads, CSX or Norfolk Southern Corp.

Union Pacific is working with Morgan Stanley investment bankers to provide guidance on the potential acquisition of another Class I railroad, the online publication Semafor reported on Wednesday, citing people familiar with the matter.

BNSF Railway and Union Pacific ( NYSE: UNP) have networks that connect the West Coast to the central and Midwest regions but do not, by themselves, offer uninterrupted coast-to-coast coverage. Meanwhile,

Shares of freight transportation company Union Pacific (NYSE:UNP) fell 3.2% in the pre-market session after reports revealed the company was considering a major acquisition of an East Coast railroad.

Cintas isn’t just another industrial company. It offers a reliable reading of Main Street activity, arguably the heartbeat of the U.S. economy, with exposure to a broad base of small and midsize businesses. Primarily a rental and services play in the uniform industry, it is highly valued, along with other business-services companies.