<SEC-DOCUMENT>0000277948-24-000012.txt : 20240425
<SEC-HEADER>0000277948-24-000012.hdr.sgml : 20240425
<ACCEPTANCE-DATETIME>20240325101944
<PRIVATE-TO-PUBLIC>
ACCESSION NUMBER:		0000277948-24-000012
CONFORMED SUBMISSION TYPE:	CORRESP
PUBLIC DOCUMENT COUNT:		1
FILED AS OF DATE:		20240325

FILER:

	COMPANY DATA:	
		COMPANY CONFORMED NAME:			CSX CORP
		CENTRAL INDEX KEY:			0000277948
		STANDARD INDUSTRIAL CLASSIFICATION:	RAILROADS, LINE-HAUL OPERATING [4011]
		ORGANIZATION NAME:           	01 Energy & Transportation
		IRS NUMBER:				621051971
		STATE OF INCORPORATION:			VA
		FISCAL YEAR END:			1231

	FILING VALUES:
		FORM TYPE:		CORRESP

	BUSINESS ADDRESS:	
		STREET 1:		500 WATER STREET
		STREET 2:		15TH FLOOR
		CITY:			JACKSONVILLE
		STATE:			FL
		ZIP:			32202
		BUSINESS PHONE:		9043593200

	MAIL ADDRESS:	
		STREET 1:		500 WATER STREET
		STREET 2:		15TH FLOOR
		CITY:			JACKSONVILLE
		STATE:			FL
		ZIP:			32202
</SEC-HEADER>
<DOCUMENT>
<TYPE>CORRESP
<SEQUENCE>1
<FILENAME>filename1.htm
<TEXT>
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<title>Document</title></head><body><div id="i7b385806f2a943ea9af780de8a60ec5d_1"></div><div style="min-height:72pt;width:100%"><div><font><br></font></div></div><div style="text-align:justify"><font style="color:#000000;font-family:'Arial',sans-serif;font-size:12pt;font-weight:400;line-height:120%">March 25</font><font style="color:#000000;font-family:'Arial',sans-serif;font-size:11pt;font-weight:400;line-height:120%">, 2024</font></div><div><font><br></font></div><div style="text-align:justify"><font style="color:#000000;font-family:'Arial',sans-serif;font-size:11pt;font-style:italic;font-weight:700;line-height:120%">VIA EDGAR</font></div><div><font><br></font></div><div style="text-align:justify"><font style="color:#000000;font-family:'Arial',sans-serif;font-size:11pt;font-weight:400;line-height:120%">Mr. Karl Hiller</font></div><div style="text-align:justify"><font style="color:#000000;font-family:'Arial',sans-serif;font-size:11pt;font-weight:400;line-height:120%">Division of Corporation Finance</font></div><div style="text-align:justify"><font style="color:#000000;font-family:'Arial',sans-serif;font-size:11pt;font-weight:400;line-height:120%">United States Securities and Exchange Commission</font></div><div style="text-align:justify"><font style="color:#000000;font-family:'Arial',sans-serif;font-size:11pt;font-weight:400;line-height:120%">100 F Street, NE</font></div><div style="text-align:justify"><font style="color:#000000;font-family:'Arial',sans-serif;font-size:11pt;font-weight:400;line-height:120%">Washington, DC 20549</font></div><div><font><br></font></div><div style="text-align:justify"><font style="color:#000000;font-family:'Arial',sans-serif;font-size:11pt;font-weight:400;line-height:120%">Re&#58;</font><font style="color:#000000;font-family:'Arial',sans-serif;font-size:12pt;font-weight:400;line-height:120%">      </font><font style="color:#000000;font-family:'Arial',sans-serif;font-size:11pt;font-weight:400;line-height:120%">CSX Corporation</font></div><div style="text-align:justify"><font style="color:#000000;font-family:'Arial',sans-serif;font-size:12pt;font-weight:400;line-height:120%">            </font><font style="color:#000000;font-family:'Arial',sans-serif;font-size:11pt;font-weight:400;line-height:120%">Form 10-K for the Fiscal Year Ended December 31, 2023</font></div><div style="text-align:justify"><font style="color:#000000;font-family:'Arial',sans-serif;font-size:12pt;font-weight:400;line-height:120%">            </font><font style="color:#000000;font-family:'Arial',sans-serif;font-size:11pt;font-weight:400;line-height:120%">Filed February 14, 2024</font></div><div style="text-align:justify"><font style="color:#000000;font-family:'Arial',sans-serif;font-size:12pt;font-weight:400;line-height:120%">            </font><font style="color:#000000;font-family:'Arial',sans-serif;font-size:11pt;font-weight:400;line-height:120%">File No. 001-08022</font></div><div><font><br></font></div><div style="text-align:justify"><font style="color:#000000;font-family:'Arial',sans-serif;font-size:11pt;font-weight:400;line-height:120%">Dear Mr. Hiller&#58;</font></div><div><font><br></font></div><div style="text-align:justify;text-indent:36pt"><font style="color:#000000;font-family:'Arial',sans-serif;font-size:11pt;font-weight:400;line-height:120%">CSX Corporation (&#8220;CSX&#8221; or the &#8220;Company&#8221;) is writing in response to the staff&#8217;s comment letter dated March 13, 2024 with respect to the above-referenced filing. CSX believes this letter responds fully to the staff&#8217;s comments. For the convenience of the staff, the comment is set forth below, followed by the Company&#8217;s response.</font></div><div style="text-align:justify"><font><br></font></div><div style="text-align:justify"><font style="color:#000000;font-family:'Arial',sans-serif;font-size:11pt;font-weight:700;line-height:120%;text-decoration:underline">Form 10-K for the Fiscal Year ended December 31, 2023</font></div><div style="text-align:justify"><font><br></font></div><div style="text-align:justify"><font style="color:#000000;font-family:'Arial',sans-serif;font-size:11pt;font-weight:700;line-height:120%;text-decoration:underline">Management's Discussion and Analysis</font></div><div style="text-align:justify"><font style="color:#000000;font-family:'Arial',sans-serif;font-size:11pt;font-weight:700;line-height:120%;text-decoration:underline">Non-GAAP Measures, page 33</font></div><div style="text-align:justify"><font><br></font></div><div style="text-align:justify"><font style="color:#000000;font-family:'Arial',sans-serif;font-size:11pt;font-weight:700;line-height:120%">1. We note your disclosure of the non-GAAP Economic Profit measure, which you also refer to as CSX Cash Earnings or CCE, and you define as &#8220;gross cash earnings minus the capital charge on gross operating assets.&#8221; You indicate gross cash earnings represents Adjusted EBITDA less an assumed 15% cash tax, and that the capital charge is derived by applying a long-term average cost of capital of 8% to average gross operating assets.</font></div><div style="text-align:justify"><font><br></font></div><div style="text-align:justify"><font style="color:#000000;font-family:'Arial',sans-serif;font-size:11pt;font-weight:700;line-height:120%">If the most directly comparable GAAP-based measure were operating income, your measure would exclude (not deduct) DD&#38;A and operating lease expense, both of which are included (deducted) in computing operating income, and include (deduct) generalized measures of tax and a capital charge, both of which are excluded (not deducted) in computing operating income. However, you have not identified this measure or any other measure as the most directly comparable GAAP measure, nor provided the reconciliation prescribed by Item 10(e)(1)(i)(A) and (B) of Regulation S-K. As your first three adjustments correlate with the activity that is presented between operating income and net earnings on page 52, it appears that operating income would be the most directly comparable GAAP measure to utilize in the reconciliation.</font></div><div style="text-align:justify"><font><br></font></div><div style="text-align:justify"><font><br></font></div><div style="text-align:justify"><font><br></font></div><div style="text-align:justify"><font><br></font></div><div style="height:72pt;position:relative;width:100%"><div style="bottom:0;position:absolute;width:100%"><div><font><br></font></div></div></div><hr style="page-break-after:always"><div style="min-height:72pt;width:100%"><div><font style="color:#000000;font-family:'Arial',sans-serif;font-size:11pt;font-weight:400;line-height:115%">Mr. Karl Hiller</font></div><div><font style="color:#000000;font-family:'Arial',sans-serif;font-size:11pt;font-weight:400;line-height:120%">U. S. Securities and Exchange Commission</font></div><div><font style="color:#000000;font-family:'Arial',sans-serif;font-size:11pt;font-weight:400;line-height:120%">March 25, 2024</font></div><div><font style="color:#000000;font-family:'Arial',sans-serif;font-size:11pt;font-weight:400;line-height:120%">Page </font><font style="color:#000000;font-family:'Arial',sans-serif;font-size:12pt;font-weight:400;line-height:120%">2 of 10</font></div></div><div style="text-align:justify"><font style="color:#000000;font-family:'Arial',sans-serif;font-size:11pt;font-weight:700;line-height:120%">As your computational table begins with Net Income (identified as Net Earnings in your financial statements) and arrives at the intermediary non-GAAP measure of Adjusted EBITDA, before deducting the generalized tax and capital charge to yield your non-GAAP measure, it appears that Adjusted EBITDA should be removed from the reconciliation and if you wish to present this as an incremental non-GAAP measure, it should be separately reconciled to a corresponding GAAP measure. However, we would like to understand your rationale for the generalized charges and your view on the overall utility of the resulting measure compared to your GAAP performance measures.</font></div><div style="text-align:justify"><font><br></font></div><div style="text-align:justify"><font style="color:#000000;font-family:'Arial',sans-serif;font-size:11pt;font-weight:700;line-height:120%">Please describe to us the nature and extent of support for the percentages utilized in calculating the generalized measures for each period, explain why there should be no deviation between periods in your view, and address the concerns in the Answer to C&#38;DI Question 100.04, including the third example and more generally, the practice of substituting a proportionally static measurement approach for any actual corresponding activity based on GAAP. Tell us how you would propose to characterize the capital charge, relative to activity that is generally reflected in a GAAP performance measure, and explain how your non-GAAP Economic Profit measure enhances an investors understanding of your performance in your view.</font></div><div style="text-align:justify"><font><br></font></div><div style="text-align:justify"><font style="color:#000000;font-family:'Arial',sans-serif;font-size:11pt;font-weight:700;line-height:120%"> </font><font style="color:#000000;font-family:'Arial',sans-serif;font-size:11pt;font-weight:700;line-height:120%;text-decoration:underline">CSX Response</font></div><div style="text-align:justify"><font><br></font></div><div style="text-align:justify;text-indent:36pt"><font style="color:#000000;font-family:'Arial',sans-serif;font-size:11pt;font-weight:400;line-height:120%">CSX respectfully acknowledges the staff&#8217;s comment and while we believe our filing was in accordance with all regulations, we will make changes in future filings to more clearly structure our non-GAAP disclosures in accordance with Item 10(e)(1)(i)(A) and (B) of Regulation S-K and the related Compliance and Disclosure Interpretations (&#8220;C&#38;DIs&#8221;). We have structured our response below to provide additional information on our non-GAAP measure of Economic Profit and the related components and then reference back to the specific questions noted above to show how they have been addressed. We believe all questions and requests within the comment have been addressed through the information provided and through our proposed updates to the disclosure, which will be incorporated in future filings. The updated disclosure is shown in </font><font style="color:#000000;font-family:'Arial',sans-serif;font-size:11pt;font-style:italic;font-weight:400;line-height:120%">Appendix C.</font></div><div style="text-align:justify;text-indent:36pt"><font><br></font></div><div style="text-align:justify"><font style="color:#000000;font-family:'Arial',sans-serif;font-size:11pt;font-weight:700;line-height:120%">Economic Profit Definition and Usefulness</font></div><div style="text-align:justify"><font><br></font></div><div style="text-align:justify;text-indent:36pt"><font style="color:#000000;font-family:'Arial',sans-serif;font-size:11pt;font-weight:400;line-height:120%">Economic Profit, which was previously referred to as CSX Cash Earnings or CCE, is a performance measure that CSX uses to evaluate whether investments are earning more than  management&#8217;s desired minimum required return. This measurement is useful to CSX and investors as it directly correlates to shareholder value by representing value creation or profit over and above the capital charge used by CSX to generate that profit. We believe this performance measure evaluates the most efficient use of our capital which is why we discuss it in quarterly earnings presentations and also use it as a performance measure target to incentivize management in long-term incentive compensation plans. Economic Profit is also used to evaluate all investment decisions and to understand the relative value created by each customer, market, line of business, and&#47;or customer specific shipments. </font></div><div style="text-align:justify;text-indent:36pt"><font><br></font></div><div style="text-align:justify;text-indent:36pt"><font><br></font></div><div style="height:72pt;position:relative;width:100%"><div style="bottom:0;position:absolute;width:100%"><div><font><br></font></div></div></div><hr style="page-break-after:always"><div style="min-height:72pt;width:100%"><div><font style="color:#000000;font-family:'Arial',sans-serif;font-size:11pt;font-weight:400;line-height:115%">Mr. Karl Hiller</font></div><div><font style="color:#000000;font-family:'Arial',sans-serif;font-size:11pt;font-weight:400;line-height:120%">U. S. Securities and Exchange Commission</font></div><div><font style="color:#000000;font-family:'Arial',sans-serif;font-size:11pt;font-weight:400;line-height:120%">March 25, 2024</font></div><div><font style="color:#000000;font-family:'Arial',sans-serif;font-size:11pt;font-weight:400;line-height:120%">Page </font><font style="color:#000000;font-family:'Arial',sans-serif;font-size:12pt;font-weight:400;line-height:120%">3 of 10</font></div></div><div style="text-align:justify;text-indent:36pt"><font style="color:#000000;font-family:'Arial',sans-serif;font-size:11pt;font-weight:400;line-height:120%">As a result, CSX decided to disclose this measure in our 2023 Form 10-K to provide transparency to our shareholders on how we measure ourselves. As discussed on page 33 of our 2023 Form 10-K, we believe this measure</font><font style="color:#000000;font-family:'Arial',sans-serif;font-size:11pt;font-style:italic;font-weight:400;line-height:120%"> &#8220;provides additional perspective to investors about financial returns generated by the business by representing a profit generated over and above the cost of capital used by the business to generate that profit. Economic Profit is designed to incentivize strategic investments that earn more than the required return.</font><font style="color:#000000;font-family:'Arial',sans-serif;font-size:11pt;font-weight:400;line-height:120%"> </font><font style="color:#000000;font-family:'Arial',sans-serif;font-size:11pt;font-style:italic;font-weight:400;line-height:120%">Increases in Economic Profit indicate that the Company is effectively allocating capital and rewarding shareholders by generating growth in excess of the incremental cost of capital associated with reinvestment in the business.&#8221;</font></div><div style="text-align:justify;text-indent:36pt"><font><br></font></div><div style="text-align:justify"><font style="color:#000000;font-family:'Arial',sans-serif;font-size:11pt;font-weight:700;line-height:120%">Economic Profit Formula</font></div><div style="text-align:justify"><font><br></font></div><div style="text-align:justify;text-indent:36pt"><font style="color:#000000;font-family:'Arial',sans-serif;font-size:11pt;font-weight:400;line-height:120%">Below is the Economic Profit formula utilized by the Company.</font></div><div style="text-align:justify;text-indent:36pt"><font><br></font></div><div style="text-align:center"><table style="border-collapse:collapse;display:inline-table;margin-bottom:5pt;vertical-align:text-bottom;width:91.185%"><tr><td style="width:1.0%"></td><td style="width:29.655%"></td><td style="width:0.1%"></td><td style="width:1.0%"></td><td style="width:3.645%"></td><td style="width:0.1%"></td><td style="width:1.0%"></td><td style="width:30.358%"></td><td style="width:0.1%"></td><td style="width:1.0%"></td><td style="width:3.996%"></td><td style="width:0.1%"></td><td style="width:1.0%"></td><td style="width:26.846%"></td><td style="width:0.1%"></td></tr><tr><td colspan="3" style="border-left:1pt solid #000;border-top:1pt solid #000;padding:2px 1pt;text-align:center;vertical-align:bottom"><font style="color:#000000;font-family:'Arial',sans-serif;font-size:10pt;font-weight:700;line-height:100%">Gross Cash Earnings</font></td><td colspan="3" style="border-left:1pt solid #000;padding:2px 1pt;text-align:left;vertical-align:bottom"><div style="text-align:center"><font style="color:#ffffff;font-family:'Arial',sans-serif;font-size:10pt;font-weight:700;line-height:100%">&#8216;</font><font style="color:#000000;font-family:'Arial',sans-serif;font-size:10pt;font-weight:700;line-height:100%">-</font></div></td><td colspan="3" style="border-left:1pt solid #000;border-top:1pt solid #000;padding:2px 1pt;text-align:center;vertical-align:bottom"><font style="color:#000000;font-family:'Arial',sans-serif;font-size:10pt;font-weight:700;line-height:100%">Capital Charge</font></td><td colspan="3" style="border-left:1pt solid #000;padding:2px 1pt;text-align:left;vertical-align:bottom"><div style="text-align:center"><font style="color:#ffffff;font-family:'Arial',sans-serif;font-size:10pt;font-weight:700;line-height:100%">&#8216;</font><font style="color:#000000;font-family:'Arial',sans-serif;font-size:10pt;font-weight:700;line-height:100%">&#61;</font></div></td><td colspan="3" style="border-left:1pt solid #000;border-right:1pt solid #000;border-top:1pt solid #000;padding:2px 1pt;text-align:center;vertical-align:bottom"><font style="color:#000000;font-family:'Arial',sans-serif;font-size:10pt;font-weight:700;line-height:100%">Economic Profit</font></td></tr><tr><td colspan="3" style="border-top:1pt solid #000;padding:2px 1pt;text-align:left;vertical-align:bottom"><div><font style="color:#ffffff;font-family:'Arial',sans-serif;font-size:10pt;font-weight:400;line-height:100%">&#8216;</font><font style="color:#000000;font-family:'Arial',sans-serif;font-size:10pt;font-weight:400;line-height:100%">&#61; Operating Income</font></div></td><td colspan="3" style="padding:0 1pt"></td><td colspan="3" style="border-top:1pt solid #000;padding:2px 1pt;text-align:left;vertical-align:bottom"><div><font style="color:#ffffff;font-family:'Arial',sans-serif;font-size:10pt;font-weight:400;line-height:100%">&#8216;</font><font style="color:#000000;font-family:'Arial',sans-serif;font-size:10pt;font-weight:400;line-height:100%">+Operating Assets</font></div></td><td colspan="3" style="padding:0 1pt"></td><td colspan="3" style="border-top:1pt solid #000;padding:2px 1pt;text-align:left;vertical-align:bottom"><font style="color:#000000;font-family:'Arial',sans-serif;font-size:10pt;font-weight:400;line-height:100%">Gross Cash Earnings</font></td></tr><tr><td colspan="3" style="padding:2px 1pt;text-align:left;vertical-align:bottom"><div><font style="color:#ffffff;font-family:'Arial',sans-serif;font-size:10pt;font-weight:400;line-height:100%">&#8216;</font><font style="color:#000000;font-family:'Arial',sans-serif;font-size:10pt;font-weight:400;line-height:100%">+ Depreciation</font></div></td><td colspan="3" style="padding:0 1pt"></td><td colspan="3" style="padding:2px 1pt;text-align:left;vertical-align:bottom"><div><font style="color:#ffffff;font-family:'Arial',sans-serif;font-size:10pt;font-weight:400;line-height:100%">&#8216;</font><font style="color:#000000;font-family:'Arial',sans-serif;font-size:10pt;font-weight:400;line-height:100%">- Operating Liabilities</font></div></td><td colspan="3" style="padding:0 1pt"></td><td colspan="3" style="padding:2px 1pt;text-align:left;vertical-align:bottom"><div><font style="color:#ffffff;font-family:'Arial',sans-serif;font-size:10pt;font-weight:400;line-height:100%">&#8216;</font><font style="color:#000000;font-family:'Arial',sans-serif;font-size:10pt;font-weight:400;line-height:100%">- Capital Charge on GOA</font></div></td></tr><tr><td colspan="3" style="padding:2px 1pt;text-align:left;vertical-align:bottom"><div><font style="color:#ffffff;font-family:'Arial',sans-serif;font-size:10pt;font-weight:400;line-height:100%">&#8216;</font><font style="color:#000000;font-family:'Arial',sans-serif;font-size:10pt;font-weight:400;line-height:100%">+ Other</font></div></td><td colspan="3" style="padding:0 1pt"></td><td colspan="3" style="padding:2px 1pt;text-align:left;vertical-align:bottom"><div><font style="color:#ffffff;font-family:'Arial',sans-serif;font-size:10pt;font-weight:400;line-height:100%">&#8216;</font><font style="color:#000000;font-family:'Arial',sans-serif;font-size:10pt;font-weight:400;line-height:100%">&#61; Gross Operating Assets (&#8220;GOA&#8221;) </font><font style="color:#000000;font-family:'Arial',sans-serif;font-size:6.5pt;font-weight:400;line-height:100%;position:relative;top:-3.5pt;vertical-align:baseline">(a)</font></div></td><td colspan="3" style="padding:0 1pt"></td><td colspan="3" style="border-top:1pt solid #000;padding:2px 1pt;text-align:left;vertical-align:bottom"><div><font style="color:#ffffff;font-family:'Arial',sans-serif;font-size:10pt;font-weight:400;line-height:100%">&#8216;</font><font style="color:#000000;font-family:'Arial',sans-serif;font-size:10pt;font-weight:400;line-height:100%">&#61; Economic Profit</font></div></td></tr><tr><td colspan="3" style="padding:2px 1pt;text-align:left;vertical-align:bottom"><div><font style="color:#ffffff;font-family:'Arial',sans-serif;font-size:10pt;font-weight:400;line-height:100%">&#8216;</font><font style="color:#000000;font-family:'Arial',sans-serif;font-size:10pt;font-weight:400;line-height:100%">- Taxes</font></div></td><td colspan="3" style="padding:0 1pt"></td><td colspan="3" style="padding:2px 1pt;text-align:left;vertical-align:bottom"><div><font style="color:#ffffff;font-family:'Arial',sans-serif;font-size:10pt;font-weight:400;line-height:100%">&#8216;</font><font style="color:#000000;font-family:'Arial',sans-serif;font-size:10pt;font-weight:400;line-height:100%">x Required Return</font></div></td><td colspan="3" style="padding:0 1pt"></td><td colspan="3" style="padding:0 1pt"></td></tr><tr><td colspan="3" style="border-top:1pt solid #000;padding:2px 1pt;text-align:left;vertical-align:bottom"><div><font style="color:#ffffff;font-family:'Arial',sans-serif;font-size:10pt;font-weight:400;line-height:100%">&#8216;</font><font style="color:#000000;font-family:'Arial',sans-serif;font-size:10pt;font-weight:400;line-height:100%">&#61; Gross Cash Earnings (&#8220;GCE&#8221;)</font></div></td><td colspan="3" style="padding:0 1pt"></td><td colspan="3" style="border-top:1pt solid #000;padding:2px 1pt;text-align:left;vertical-align:bottom"><div><font style="color:#ffffff;font-family:'Arial',sans-serif;font-size:10pt;font-weight:400;line-height:100%">&#8216;</font><font style="color:#000000;font-family:'Arial',sans-serif;font-size:10pt;font-weight:400;line-height:100%">&#61; Capital Charge on GOA</font></div></td><td colspan="3" style="padding:0 1pt"></td><td colspan="3" style="padding:0 1pt"></td></tr></table></div><div style="text-align:justify"><font><br></font></div><div style="text-align:justify"><font style="color:#000000;font-family:'Arial',sans-serif;font-size:9pt;font-style:italic;font-weight:400;line-height:120%">(a) GOA represents a quarterly average of reported balance sheet figures.</font></div><div style="text-align:justify"><font><br></font></div><div style="text-align:justify;text-indent:36pt"><font style="color:#000000;font-family:'Arial',sans-serif;font-size:11pt;font-weight:400;line-height:112%">As discussed above and highlighted in the components of the calculation, Economic Profit is a performance measure which rewards Gross Cash Earnings (&#8220;GCE&#8221;) growth in excess of management&#8217;s desired minimum required return associated with reinvestment in the business. As such, our tax rates and required return are both important inputs to this measurement. As discussed further below, the application of these rates serve to focus the measure on business generating income, and to enhance our focus on long-term value creation as opposed to near-term volatility.</font></div><div style="text-align:justify;text-indent:36pt"><font><br></font></div><div style="text-align:justify"><font style="color:#000000;font-family:'Arial',sans-serif;font-size:11pt;font-style:italic;font-weight:400;line-height:112%;text-decoration:underline">Tax Rate</font></div><div style="text-align:justify;text-indent:36pt"><font style="color:#000000;font-family:'Arial',sans-serif;font-size:11pt;font-weight:400;line-height:112%">CSX deducts an amount for taxes from the pre-tax GCE making GCE an after-tax measure. The tax rate, which was 15% of pre-tax GCE for both years presented, is the approximate equivalent of the Company&#8217;s actual income tax expense as a percentage of  pre-tax GCE. Refer to </font><font style="color:#000000;font-family:'Arial',sans-serif;font-size:11pt;font-style:italic;font-weight:400;line-height:112%">Appendix A </font><font style="color:#000000;font-family:'Arial',sans-serif;font-size:11pt;font-weight:400;line-height:112%">for further details on the calculation of this tax rate. This tax rate is used in lieu of using the effective tax rate (approximately 24% for 2023), because pre-tax GCE excludes depreciation and amortization and therefore a lower tax rate must be applied to a larger base to arrive at a tax amount approximating the effective income tax amount. This rate is not intended to be static and will be changed if there are significant changes in our tax profile. The Company&#8217;s adoption of Economic Profit as an internal measure for evaluating investments utilizes this tax rate methodology. This also coincides with the use of the 15% tax rate as a component of the Company&#8217;s incentive compensation plan targets approved by the Company&#8217;s Board of Directors at the inception of the plan. A significant change would be identified as a change of 2  percentage points  from the current 15% tax rate. There has not been a variance of </font></div><div style="height:72pt;position:relative;width:100%"><div style="bottom:0;position:absolute;width:100%"><div><font><br></font></div></div></div><hr style="page-break-after:always"><div style="min-height:72pt;width:100%"><div><font style="color:#000000;font-family:'Arial',sans-serif;font-size:11pt;font-weight:400;line-height:115%">Mr. Karl Hiller</font></div><div><font style="color:#000000;font-family:'Arial',sans-serif;font-size:11pt;font-weight:400;line-height:120%">U. S. Securities and Exchange Commission</font></div><div><font style="color:#000000;font-family:'Arial',sans-serif;font-size:11pt;font-weight:400;line-height:120%">March 25, 2024</font></div><div><font style="color:#000000;font-family:'Arial',sans-serif;font-size:11pt;font-weight:400;line-height:120%">Page </font><font style="color:#000000;font-family:'Arial',sans-serif;font-size:12pt;font-weight:400;line-height:120%">4 of 10</font></div></div><div style="text-align:justify"><font style="color:#000000;font-family:'Arial',sans-serif;font-size:11pt;font-weight:400;line-height:112%">this amount requiring a change. However, if this rate is adjusted due to a significant change, the prior period Economic Profit would also be adjusted using the new tax rate. For Economic Profit to measure the year over year growth or degradation, the Company&#8217;s application of this tax rate is more useful as it allows Economic Profit to more clearly identify impacts from value generating income instead of external factors, such as changes in legislative tax rates.</font></div><div style="text-align:justify"><font><br></font></div><div><font style="color:#000000;font-family:'Arial',sans-serif;font-size:11pt;font-style:italic;font-weight:400;line-height:120%;text-decoration:underline">Required Return</font></div><div style="text-align:justify;text-indent:36pt"><font style="color:#000000;font-family:'Arial',sans-serif;font-size:11pt;font-weight:400;line-height:107%">The required return, which was 8% for both years presented, is used to calculate the period charge for the Gross Operating Assets (&#8220;GOA&#8221;), defined as the &#8220;Capital Charge&#8221;. This Capital Charge represents the minimum required return the Company expects to earn on investments. It is subtracted  from GCE when calculating Economic Profit. CSX utilized the Weighted Average Cost of Capital (&#8220;WACC&#8221;) to calculate the required return. Refer to </font><font style="color:#000000;font-family:'Arial',sans-serif;font-size:11pt;font-style:italic;font-weight:400;line-height:107%">Appendix B</font><font style="color:#000000;font-family:'Arial',sans-serif;font-size:11pt;font-weight:400;line-height:107%"> for further details on the calculation of this required return. This rate is not intended to be static and will change if there are significant variances in our WACC and will be re-evaluated prior to beginning a new financial year to ensure the rate is appropriate. The Company&#8217;s adoption of Economic Profit as an internal measure for evaluating investments utilizes this required return rate methodology. This also coincides with the use of the 8% required return as a component of the Company&#8217;s incentive compensation plan targets approved by the Company&#8217;s Board of Directors at the inception of the plan</font><font style="color:#000000;font-family:'Arial',sans-serif;font-size:12pt;font-weight:400;line-height:107%">. </font><font style="color:#000000;font-family:'Arial',sans-serif;font-size:11pt;font-weight:400;line-height:107%"> A change would be made if WACC exceeded a change of 2 percentage points from the current 8%. There has not been a variance of this amount requiring a change. However, if this required return is adjusted due to a significant change, the prior period Economic Profit would also be adjusted using the new required return in order to identify whether the change in Economic Profit was due to operations or external market volatility.</font></div><div style="margin-top:6pt;text-align:justify"><font><br></font></div><div style="margin-top:6pt;text-align:justify"><font style="color:#000000;font-family:'Arial',sans-serif;font-size:11pt;font-weight:700;line-height:112%">Specific Questions Referenced in Letter</font></div><div style="margin-top:6pt;text-align:justify;text-indent:36pt"><font style="color:#000000;font-family:'Arial',sans-serif;font-size:11pt;font-weight:400;line-height:120%">Noting the explanation provided above and the enhanced disclosure for future filings included below, the Company believed it would be helpful to address the components of the staff&#8217;s specific questions as follows&#58;</font></div><div style="text-align:justify;text-indent:36pt"><font><br></font></div><div style="text-align:justify"><font style="color:#000000;font-family:'Arial',sans-serif;font-size:11pt;font-style:italic;font-weight:400;line-height:120%;text-decoration:underline">Most Directly Comparable GAAP-based Measure</font></div><div style="text-align:justify;text-indent:36pt"><font style="color:#000000;font-family:'Arial',sans-serif;font-size:11pt;font-weight:400;line-height:120%">In line with the staff&#8217;s suggestion, CSX agrees that operating income is the most directly comparable GAAP measure to Economic Profit and will revise our disclosures going forward. See the enhanced disclosure and reconciliation of the GAAP to non-GAAP measure in </font><font style="color:#000000;font-family:'Arial',sans-serif;font-size:11pt;font-style:italic;font-weight:400;line-height:120%">Appendix C</font><font style="color:#000000;font-family:'Arial',sans-serif;font-size:11pt;font-weight:400;line-height:120%">.</font></div><div style="text-align:justify;text-indent:36pt"><font><br></font></div><div style="text-align:justify"><font style="color:#000000;font-family:'Arial',sans-serif;font-size:11pt;font-style:italic;font-weight:400;line-height:120%;text-decoration:underline">Use of Adjusted EBITDA in Reconciliation</font></div><div style="text-align:justify;text-indent:36pt"><font style="color:#000000;font-family:'Arial',sans-serif;font-size:11pt;font-weight:400;line-height:120%">We acknowledge that including this component of the reconciliation may have inadvertently created an intermediary non-GAAP measure. As such, we removed Adjusted EBITDA from the reconciliation in our updated disclosure and reconciliation for use in future filings, as suggested by the staff, and also removed references to this measure from our narrative discussion. </font></div><div style="text-align:justify;text-indent:36pt"><font><br></font></div><div style="height:72pt;position:relative;width:100%"><div style="bottom:0;position:absolute;width:100%"><div><font><br></font></div></div></div><hr style="page-break-after:always"><div style="min-height:72pt;width:100%"><div><font style="color:#000000;font-family:'Arial',sans-serif;font-size:11pt;font-weight:400;line-height:115%">Mr. Karl Hiller</font></div><div><font style="color:#000000;font-family:'Arial',sans-serif;font-size:11pt;font-weight:400;line-height:120%">U. S. Securities and Exchange Commission</font></div><div><font style="color:#000000;font-family:'Arial',sans-serif;font-size:11pt;font-weight:400;line-height:120%">March 25, 2024</font></div><div><font style="color:#000000;font-family:'Arial',sans-serif;font-size:11pt;font-weight:400;line-height:120%">Page </font><font style="color:#000000;font-family:'Arial',sans-serif;font-size:12pt;font-weight:400;line-height:120%">5 of 10</font></div></div><div style="text-align:justify"><font style="color:#000000;font-family:'Arial',sans-serif;font-size:11pt;font-style:italic;font-weight:400;line-height:120%;text-decoration:underline">Required Return and Taxes</font></div><div style="text-align:justify;text-indent:36pt"><font style="color:#000000;font-family:'Arial',sans-serif;font-size:11pt;font-weight:400;line-height:120%">Detailed information is provided above in the </font><font style="color:#000000;font-family:'Arial',sans-serif;font-size:11pt;font-style:italic;font-weight:400;line-height:120%">Economic Profit Formula </font><font style="color:#000000;font-family:'Arial',sans-serif;font-size:11pt;font-weight:400;line-height:120%">section describing our rationale for using these rates and the utility of the resulting measure. We also updated our disclosure for use in future filings to provide a summarized version of this information. We believe this also addresses the staff&#8217;s request for us to describe the nature and extent of support for the percentages and why they were the same for both periods presented. As discussed in more detail above, they are not static rates and are annually re-evaluated.  Refer to </font><font style="color:#000000;font-family:'Arial',sans-serif;font-size:11pt;font-style:italic;font-weight:400;line-height:120%">Appendices A and B</font><font style="color:#000000;font-family:'Arial',sans-serif;font-size:11pt;font-weight:400;line-height:120%"> for further details on the calculation of these rates.</font></div><div style="text-align:justify;text-indent:36pt"><font><br></font></div><div><font style="color:#000000;font-family:'Arial',sans-serif;font-size:11pt;font-style:italic;font-weight:400;line-height:120%;text-decoration:underline">Reference to C&#38;DI Question 100.04</font></div><div style="text-align:justify;text-indent:36pt"><font style="color:#000000;font-family:'Arial',sans-serif;font-size:11pt;font-weight:400;line-height:120%">We believe we are in compliance with C&#38;DI Question 100.04 and do not believe we have utilized an individually tailored accounting principle. Additionally we do not believe we have converted from an accrual to cash basis of accounting or implemented a practice of substituting a proportionally static measurement approach for corresponding GAAP activity. Instead, we believe we have provided a useful performance measure to investors that displays how we have deployed capital into the business, ensuring both short-term and long-term needs are met, through a comparison to our Capital Charge. The Company&#8217;s utilization of the tax rate and Required Return are not intended to change the pattern of recognition or concepts of U.S GAAP but rather provide insights on the Company&#8217;s performance on value generating business versus targets set using these measures. The use of these rates provide additional information for investors regarding how management evaluates investment decisions considering long-term goals and related assumptions.  Also, these rates are not static as they are re-evaluated, and adjusted if needed, annually. We have updated our disclosure for use in future filings to disclose the rate used in a footnote below the table to avoid giving the impression that the rate is static. </font></div><div style="text-align:justify;text-indent:36pt"><font><br></font></div><div style="text-align:justify"><font style="color:#000000;font-family:'Arial',sans-serif;font-size:11pt;font-style:italic;font-weight:400;line-height:120%;text-decoration:underline">Investor Usefulness</font></div><div style="text-align:justify;text-indent:36pt"><font style="color:#000000;font-family:'Arial',sans-serif;font-size:11pt;font-weight:400;line-height:120%">As discussed above in </font><font style="color:#000000;font-family:'Arial',sans-serif;font-size:11pt;font-style:italic;font-weight:400;line-height:120%">Economic Profit Definition and Usefulness</font><font style="color:#000000;font-family:'Arial',sans-serif;font-size:11pt;font-weight:400;line-height:120%"> section, this measurement is insightful to CSX and investors as it directly correlates to shareholder value by representing value creation or profit over and above the Capital Charge used by CSX to generate that profit. Economic Profit is used to evaluate all investment decisions and to understand the relative value created by each customer, market, line of business, and&#47;or customer specific shipments.  Economic Profit is also a performance measure reviewed by the Company&#8217;s Board of Directors in setting performance targets and evaluating performance in determining incentive compensation for management. We wanted to provide additional insight to our shareholders on how this measure is used by the Company and how it reconciles to our GAAP financial information in accordance with Regulation S-K Item 10(e)(1)(i)(C).</font></div><div style="text-indent:36pt"><font><br></font></div><div style="height:72pt;position:relative;width:100%"><div style="bottom:0;position:absolute;width:100%"><div><font><br></font></div></div></div><hr style="page-break-after:always"><div style="min-height:72pt;width:100%"><div><font style="color:#000000;font-family:'Arial',sans-serif;font-size:11pt;font-weight:400;line-height:115%">Mr. Karl Hiller</font></div><div><font style="color:#000000;font-family:'Arial',sans-serif;font-size:11pt;font-weight:400;line-height:120%">U. S. Securities and Exchange Commission</font></div><div><font style="color:#000000;font-family:'Arial',sans-serif;font-size:11pt;font-weight:400;line-height:120%">March 25, 2024</font></div><div><font style="color:#000000;font-family:'Arial',sans-serif;font-size:11pt;font-weight:400;line-height:120%">Page </font><font style="color:#000000;font-family:'Arial',sans-serif;font-size:12pt;font-weight:400;line-height:120%">6 of 10</font></div></div><div style="text-indent:36pt"><font style="color:#000000;font-family:'Arial',sans-serif;font-size:11pt;font-weight:400;line-height:120%">Please do not hesitate to contact me at (904) 359-1426 or Angela C. Williams, Vice President &#38; Chief Accounting Officer, at (904) 366-4365 if you would like additional information or if the staff has additional comments.</font></div><div style="text-align:justify"><font><br></font></div><div style="text-align:justify"><font style="color:#000000;font-family:'Arial',sans-serif;font-size:11pt;font-weight:400;line-height:112%">Very truly yours,</font></div><div style="text-align:justify"><font><br></font></div><div style="text-align:justify"><font style="color:#000000;font-family:'Arial',sans-serif;font-size:11pt;font-weight:400;line-height:120%;text-decoration:underline">&#47;s&#47; SEAN PELKEY</font></div><div style="text-align:justify"><font style="color:#000000;font-family:'Arial',sans-serif;font-size:11pt;font-weight:400;line-height:120%">Sean Pelkey</font></div><div style="text-align:justify"><font style="color:#000000;font-family:'Arial',sans-serif;font-size:11pt;font-weight:400;line-height:120%">Executive Vice President &#38; Chief Financial Officer</font></div><div style="text-align:justify"><font style="color:#000000;font-family:'Arial',sans-serif;font-size:11pt;font-weight:400;line-height:120%">CSX Corporation</font></div><div style="text-align:justify"><font><br></font></div><div style="text-align:justify"><font style="color:#000000;font-family:'Arial',sans-serif;font-size:11pt;font-weight:400;line-height:120%">cc&#58;</font></div><div style="text-align:justify"><font style="color:#000000;font-family:'Arial',sans-serif;font-size:11pt;font-weight:400;line-height:120%">Nathan D. Goldman</font></div><div style="text-align:justify"><font style="color:#000000;font-family:'Arial',sans-serif;font-size:11pt;font-weight:400;line-height:120%">Executive Vice President &#38; Chief Legal Officer</font></div><div style="text-align:justify"><font style="color:#000000;font-family:'Arial',sans-serif;font-size:11pt;font-weight:400;line-height:120%">CSX Corporation</font></div><div style="text-align:justify"><font><br></font></div><div style="text-align:justify"><font style="color:#000000;font-family:'Arial',sans-serif;font-size:11pt;font-weight:400;line-height:120%">Angela C. Williams</font></div><div style="text-align:justify"><font style="color:#000000;font-family:'Arial',sans-serif;font-size:11pt;font-weight:400;line-height:120%">Vice President &#38; Chief Accounting Officer</font></div><div style="text-align:justify"><font style="color:#000000;font-family:'Arial',sans-serif;font-size:11pt;font-weight:400;line-height:120%">CSX Corporation</font></div><div style="height:72pt;position:relative;width:100%"><div style="bottom:0;position:absolute;width:100%"><div><font><br></font></div></div></div><div id="i7b385806f2a943ea9af780de8a60ec5d_77"></div><hr style="page-break-after:always"><div style="min-height:72pt;width:100%"><div><font style="color:#000000;font-family:'Arial',sans-serif;font-size:11pt;font-weight:400;line-height:115%">Mr. Karl Hiller</font></div><div><font style="color:#000000;font-family:'Arial',sans-serif;font-size:11pt;font-weight:400;line-height:120%">U. S. Securities and Exchange Commission</font></div><div><font style="color:#000000;font-family:'Arial',sans-serif;font-size:11pt;font-weight:400;line-height:120%">March 25, 2024</font></div><div><font style="color:#000000;font-family:'Arial',sans-serif;font-size:11pt;font-weight:400;line-height:120%">Page </font><font style="color:#000000;font-family:'Arial',sans-serif;font-size:12pt;font-weight:400;line-height:120%">7 of 10</font></div></div><div style="text-align:center"><font style="color:#000000;font-family:'Arial',sans-serif;font-size:12pt;font-weight:700;line-height:115%">APPENDIX A - Tax Rate Calculation</font></div><div style="text-align:center"><font><br></font></div><div style="text-align:center"><table style="border-collapse:collapse;display:inline-table;margin-bottom:5pt;vertical-align:text-bottom;width:99.382%"><tr><td style="width:0.1%"></td><td style="width:2.129%"></td><td style="width:0.1%"></td><td style="width:1.0%"></td><td style="width:67.378%"></td><td style="width:0.1%"></td><td colspan="3" style="display:none"></td><td colspan="3" style="display:none"></td><td colspan="3" style="display:none"></td><td colspan="3" style="display:none"></td><td style="width:1.0%"></td><td style="width:11.788%"></td><td style="width:0.1%"></td><td style="width:0.1%"></td><td style="width:1.508%"></td><td style="width:0.1%"></td><td style="width:1.0%"></td><td style="width:11.788%"></td><td style="width:0.1%"></td><td style="width:0.1%"></td><td style="width:1.509%"></td><td style="width:0.1%"></td></tr><tr style="height:15pt"><td colspan="3" style="padding:0 1pt"></td><td colspan="3" style="padding:0 1pt"></td><td colspan="3" style="display:none"></td><td colspan="3" style="display:none"></td><td colspan="3" style="display:none"></td><td colspan="3" style="display:none"></td><td colspan="3" style="padding:0 1pt"></td><td colspan="3" style="padding:0 1pt"></td><td colspan="3" style="padding:0 1pt"></td><td colspan="3" style="padding:0 1pt"></td></tr><tr style="height:15pt"><td colspan="3" style="border-left:1pt solid #000;border-top:1pt solid #000;padding:0 1pt"></td><td colspan="3" style="border-top:1pt solid #000;padding:0 1pt"></td><td colspan="3" style="display:none"></td><td colspan="3" style="display:none"></td><td colspan="3" style="display:none"></td><td colspan="3" style="display:none"></td><td colspan="3" style="border-top:1pt solid #000;padding:0 1pt"></td><td colspan="3" style="border-top:1pt solid #000;padding:0 1pt"></td><td colspan="3" style="border-top:1pt solid #000;padding:0 1pt"></td><td colspan="3" style="border-right:1pt solid #000;border-top:1pt solid #000;padding:0 1pt"></td></tr><tr><td colspan="3" style="border-left:1pt solid #000;padding:0 1pt"></td><td colspan="3" style="padding:2px 1pt;text-align:left;vertical-align:bottom"><font style="color:#000000;font-family:'Arial',sans-serif;font-size:10pt;font-style:italic;font-weight:400;line-height:100%">(Dollars in Millions)</font></td><td colspan="3" style="display:none"></td><td colspan="3" style="display:none"></td><td colspan="3" style="display:none"></td><td colspan="3" style="display:none"></td><td colspan="3" style="padding:2px 1pt;text-align:center;vertical-align:bottom"><font style="color:#000000;font-family:'Arial',sans-serif;font-size:10pt;font-weight:700;line-height:100%">2023</font></td><td colspan="3" style="padding:0 1pt"></td><td colspan="3" style="padding:2px 1pt;text-align:center;vertical-align:bottom"><font style="color:#000000;font-family:'Arial',sans-serif;font-size:10pt;font-weight:700;line-height:100%">2022</font></td><td colspan="3" style="border-right:1pt solid #000;padding:0 1pt"></td></tr><tr><td colspan="3" style="border-left:1pt solid #000;padding:0 1pt"></td><td colspan="3" style="padding:2px 1pt;text-align:left;vertical-align:bottom"><font style="color:#000000;font-family:'Arial',sans-serif;font-size:10pt;font-weight:400;line-height:100%">Operating Income (GAAP)</font></td><td colspan="3" style="display:none"></td><td colspan="3" style="display:none"></td><td colspan="3" style="display:none"></td><td colspan="3" style="display:none"></td><td style="border-top:1pt solid #000;padding:2px 0 2px 1pt;text-align:left;vertical-align:bottom"><font style="color:#000000;font-family:'Arial',sans-serif;font-size:10pt;font-weight:400;line-height:100%">$</font></td><td style="border-top:1pt solid #000;padding:2px 0;text-align:right;vertical-align:bottom"><font style="color:#000000;font-family:'Arial',sans-serif;font-size:10pt;font-weight:400;line-height:100%">5,561&#160;</font></td><td style="border-top:1pt solid #000;padding:2px 1pt 2px 0;text-align:right;vertical-align:bottom"></td><td colspan="3" style="padding:0 1pt"></td><td style="border-top:1pt solid #000;padding:2px 0 2px 1pt;text-align:left;vertical-align:bottom"><font style="color:#000000;font-family:'Arial',sans-serif;font-size:10pt;font-weight:400;line-height:100%">$</font></td><td style="border-top:1pt solid #000;padding:2px 0;text-align:right;vertical-align:bottom"><font style="color:#000000;font-family:'Arial',sans-serif;font-size:10pt;font-weight:400;line-height:100%">6,023&#160;</font></td><td style="border-top:1pt solid #000;padding:2px 1pt 2px 0;text-align:right;vertical-align:bottom"></td><td colspan="3" style="border-right:1pt solid #000;padding:0 1pt"></td></tr><tr><td colspan="3" style="border-left:1pt solid #000;padding:0 1pt"></td><td colspan="3" style="padding:2px 1pt;text-align:left;vertical-align:bottom"><font style="color:#000000;font-family:'Arial',sans-serif;font-size:10pt;font-weight:400;line-height:100%">Operating Lease Expense (GAAP)</font></td><td colspan="3" style="display:none"></td><td colspan="3" style="display:none"></td><td colspan="3" style="display:none"></td><td colspan="3" style="display:none"></td><td colspan="2" style="padding:2px 0 2px 1pt;text-align:right;vertical-align:bottom"><font style="color:#000000;font-family:'Arial',sans-serif;font-size:10pt;font-weight:400;line-height:100%">109&#160;</font></td><td style="padding:2px 1pt 2px 0;text-align:right;vertical-align:bottom"></td><td colspan="3" style="padding:0 1pt"></td><td colspan="2" style="padding:2px 0 2px 1pt;text-align:right;vertical-align:bottom"><font style="color:#000000;font-family:'Arial',sans-serif;font-size:10pt;font-weight:400;line-height:100%">109&#160;</font></td><td style="padding:2px 1pt 2px 0;text-align:right;vertical-align:bottom"></td><td colspan="3" style="border-right:1pt solid #000;padding:0 1pt"></td></tr><tr><td colspan="3" style="border-left:1pt solid #000;padding:0 1pt"></td><td colspan="3" style="padding:2px 1pt;text-align:left;vertical-align:bottom"><font style="color:#000000;font-family:'Arial',sans-serif;font-size:10pt;font-weight:400;line-height:100%">Depreciation and Amortization (GAAP)</font></td><td colspan="3" style="display:none"></td><td colspan="3" style="display:none"></td><td colspan="3" style="display:none"></td><td colspan="3" style="display:none"></td><td colspan="2" style="padding:2px 0 2px 1pt;text-align:right;vertical-align:bottom"><font style="color:#000000;font-family:'Arial',sans-serif;font-size:10pt;font-weight:400;line-height:100%">1,611&#160;</font></td><td style="padding:2px 1pt 2px 0;text-align:right;vertical-align:bottom"></td><td colspan="3" style="padding:0 1pt"></td><td colspan="2" style="padding:2px 0 2px 1pt;text-align:right;vertical-align:bottom"><font style="color:#000000;font-family:'Arial',sans-serif;font-size:10pt;font-weight:400;line-height:100%">1,500&#160;</font></td><td style="padding:2px 1pt 2px 0;text-align:right;vertical-align:bottom"></td><td colspan="3" style="border-right:1pt solid #000;padding:0 1pt"></td></tr><tr><td colspan="3" style="border-left:1pt solid #000;padding:0 1pt"></td><td colspan="3" style="padding:2px 1pt;text-align:left;vertical-align:bottom"><font style="color:#000000;font-family:'Arial',sans-serif;font-size:10pt;font-weight:400;line-height:100%">Pre-Tax Gross Cash Earnings (&#8220;GCE&#8221;) (Non-GAAP)</font></td><td colspan="3" style="display:none"></td><td colspan="3" style="display:none"></td><td colspan="3" style="display:none"></td><td colspan="3" style="display:none"></td><td style="border-top:1pt solid #000;padding:2px 0 2px 1pt;text-align:left;vertical-align:bottom"><font style="color:#000000;font-family:'Arial',sans-serif;font-size:10pt;font-weight:400;line-height:100%">$</font></td><td style="border-top:1pt solid #000;padding:2px 0;text-align:right;vertical-align:bottom"><font style="color:#000000;font-family:'Arial',sans-serif;font-size:10pt;font-weight:400;line-height:100%">7,281&#160;</font></td><td style="border-top:1pt solid #000;padding:2px 1pt 2px 0;text-align:right;vertical-align:bottom"></td><td colspan="3" style="padding:0 1pt"></td><td style="border-top:1pt solid #000;padding:2px 0 2px 1pt;text-align:left;vertical-align:bottom"><font style="color:#000000;font-family:'Arial',sans-serif;font-size:10pt;font-weight:400;line-height:100%">$</font></td><td style="border-top:1pt solid #000;padding:2px 0;text-align:right;vertical-align:bottom"><font style="color:#000000;font-family:'Arial',sans-serif;font-size:10pt;font-weight:400;line-height:100%">7,632&#160;</font></td><td style="border-top:1pt solid #000;padding:2px 1pt 2px 0;text-align:right;vertical-align:bottom"></td><td colspan="3" style="border-right:1pt solid #000;padding:0 1pt"></td></tr><tr style="height:15pt"><td colspan="3" style="border-left:1pt solid #000;padding:0 1pt"></td><td colspan="3" style="padding:0 1pt"></td><td colspan="3" style="display:none"></td><td colspan="3" style="display:none"></td><td colspan="3" style="display:none"></td><td colspan="3" style="display:none"></td><td colspan="3" style="padding:0 1pt"></td><td colspan="3" style="padding:0 1pt"></td><td colspan="3" style="padding:0 1pt"></td><td colspan="3" style="border-right:1pt solid #000;padding:0 1pt"></td></tr><tr><td colspan="3" style="border-left:1pt solid #000;padding:0 1pt"></td><td colspan="3" style="padding:2px 1pt;text-align:left;vertical-align:bottom"><font style="color:#000000;font-family:'Arial',sans-serif;font-size:10pt;font-weight:400;line-height:100%">Book Tax Expense (GAAP)</font></td><td colspan="3" style="display:none"></td><td colspan="3" style="display:none"></td><td colspan="3" style="display:none"></td><td colspan="3" style="display:none"></td><td colspan="2" style="padding:2px 0 2px 1pt;text-align:right;vertical-align:bottom"><font style="color:#000000;font-family:'Arial',sans-serif;font-size:10pt;font-weight:400;line-height:100%">(1,176)</font></td><td style="padding:2px 1pt 2px 0;text-align:right;vertical-align:bottom"></td><td colspan="3" style="padding:0 1pt"></td><td colspan="2" style="padding:2px 0 2px 1pt;text-align:right;vertical-align:bottom"><font style="color:#000000;font-family:'Arial',sans-serif;font-size:10pt;font-weight:400;line-height:100%">(1,248)</font></td><td style="padding:2px 1pt 2px 0;text-align:right;vertical-align:bottom"></td><td colspan="3" style="border-right:1pt solid #000;padding:0 1pt"></td></tr><tr style="height:15pt"><td colspan="3" style="border-left:1pt solid #000;padding:0 1pt"></td><td colspan="3" style="padding:0 1pt"></td><td colspan="3" style="display:none"></td><td colspan="3" style="display:none"></td><td colspan="3" style="display:none"></td><td colspan="3" style="display:none"></td><td colspan="3" style="padding:0 1pt"></td><td colspan="3" style="padding:0 1pt"></td><td colspan="3" style="padding:0 1pt"></td><td colspan="3" style="border-right:1pt solid #000;padding:0 1pt"></td></tr><tr><td colspan="3" style="border-left:1pt solid #000;padding:0 1pt"></td><td colspan="3" style="padding:2px 1pt;text-align:left;vertical-align:bottom"><font style="color:#000000;font-family:'Arial',sans-serif;font-size:10pt;font-weight:400;line-height:100%">Tax Rate as % of Pre-Tax GCE (Non-GAAP)</font></td><td colspan="3" style="display:none"></td><td colspan="3" style="display:none"></td><td colspan="3" style="display:none"></td><td colspan="3" style="display:none"></td><td colspan="2" style="padding:2px 0 2px 1pt;text-align:right;vertical-align:bottom"><font style="color:#000000;font-family:'Arial',sans-serif;font-size:10pt;font-weight:700;line-height:100%">16.2</font><font style="color:#000000;font-family:'Arial',sans-serif;font-size:10pt;font-weight:400;line-height:100%">&#160;</font></td><td style="padding:2px 1pt 2px 0;text-align:right;vertical-align:bottom"><font style="color:#000000;font-family:'Arial',sans-serif;font-size:10pt;font-weight:700;line-height:100%">%</font></td><td colspan="3" style="padding:0 1pt"></td><td colspan="2" style="padding:2px 0 2px 1pt;text-align:right;vertical-align:bottom"><font style="color:#000000;font-family:'Arial',sans-serif;font-size:10pt;font-weight:700;line-height:100%">16.4</font><font style="color:#000000;font-family:'Arial',sans-serif;font-size:10pt;font-weight:400;line-height:100%">&#160;</font></td><td style="padding:2px 1pt 2px 0;text-align:right;vertical-align:bottom"><font style="color:#000000;font-family:'Arial',sans-serif;font-size:10pt;font-weight:700;line-height:100%">%</font></td><td colspan="3" style="border-right:1pt solid #000;padding:0 1pt"></td></tr><tr style="height:15pt"><td colspan="3" style="border-bottom:1pt solid #000;border-left:1pt solid #000;padding:0 1pt"></td><td colspan="3" style="border-bottom:1pt solid #000;padding:0 1pt"></td><td colspan="3" style="display:none"></td><td colspan="3" style="display:none"></td><td colspan="3" style="display:none"></td><td colspan="3" style="display:none"></td><td colspan="3" style="border-bottom:1pt solid #000;padding:0 1pt"></td><td colspan="3" style="border-bottom:1pt solid #000;padding:0 1pt"></td><td colspan="3" style="border-bottom:1pt solid #000;padding:0 1pt"></td><td colspan="3" style="border-bottom:1pt solid #000;border-right:1pt solid #000;padding:0 1pt"></td></tr></table></div><div style="text-align:center"><font><br></font></div><div><font><br></font></div><div style="text-align:justify;text-indent:36pt"><font style="color:#000000;font-family:'Arial',sans-serif;font-size:10pt;font-weight:400;line-height:115%">The initial internal use of this measure in 2022 was based on a 15% tax rate that aligned with the tax rate reviewed and approved by the Company&#8217;s Board of Directors. Since then, our tax rate has remained within the 2 percentage points parameters and has not required a change.</font></div><div><font><br></font></div><div style="height:72pt;position:relative;width:100%"><div style="bottom:0;position:absolute;width:100%"><div><font><br></font></div></div></div><hr style="page-break-after:always"><div style="min-height:72pt;width:100%"><div><font style="color:#000000;font-family:'Arial',sans-serif;font-size:11pt;font-weight:400;line-height:115%">Mr. Karl Hiller</font></div><div><font style="color:#000000;font-family:'Arial',sans-serif;font-size:11pt;font-weight:400;line-height:120%">U. S. Securities and Exchange Commission</font></div><div><font style="color:#000000;font-family:'Arial',sans-serif;font-size:11pt;font-weight:400;line-height:120%">March 25, 2024</font></div><div><font style="color:#000000;font-family:'Arial',sans-serif;font-size:11pt;font-weight:400;line-height:120%">Page </font><font style="color:#000000;font-family:'Arial',sans-serif;font-size:12pt;font-weight:400;line-height:120%">8 of 10</font></div></div><div style="text-align:center"><font><br></font></div><div id="i7b385806f2a943ea9af780de8a60ec5d_62"></div><div style="text-align:center"><font style="color:#000000;font-family:'Arial',sans-serif;font-size:12pt;font-weight:700;line-height:115%">APPENDIX B - Required Return Supporting Calculation</font></div><div style="text-align:center"><font><br></font></div><div style="text-align:center"><table style="border-collapse:collapse;display:inline-table;margin-bottom:5pt;vertical-align:text-bottom;width:92.592%"><tr><td style="width:1.0%"></td><td style="width:6.900%"></td><td style="width:0.1%"></td><td style="width:1.0%"></td><td style="width:6.900%"></td><td style="width:0.1%"></td><td style="width:0.1%"></td><td style="width:2.300%"></td><td style="width:0.1%"></td><td style="width:1.0%"></td><td style="width:12.733%"></td><td style="width:0.1%"></td><td colspan="3" style="display:none"></td><td colspan="3" style="display:none"></td><td style="width:0.1%"></td><td style="width:2.300%"></td><td style="width:0.1%"></td><td style="width:1.0%"></td><td style="width:20.566%"></td><td style="width:0.1%"></td><td style="width:0.1%"></td><td style="width:2.300%"></td><td style="width:0.1%"></td><td style="width:1.0%"></td><td style="width:14.066%"></td><td style="width:0.1%"></td><td style="width:0.1%"></td><td style="width:2.300%"></td><td style="width:0.1%"></td><td style="width:1.0%"></td><td style="width:20.733%"></td><td style="width:0.1%"></td><td style="width:0.1%"></td><td style="width:1.302%"></td><td style="width:0.1%"></td></tr><tr><td colspan="3" style="border-left:1pt solid #000;border-top:1pt solid #000;padding:0 1pt"></td><td colspan="27" style="border-top:1pt solid #000;padding:2px 1pt;text-align:center;vertical-align:middle"><font style="color:#000000;font-family:'Arial',sans-serif;font-size:10pt;font-weight:700;line-height:100%;text-decoration:underline">Weighted Average Cost of Capital (&#8220;WACC&#8221;)</font></td><td colspan="3" style="border-right:1pt solid #000;border-top:1pt solid #000;padding:0 1pt"></td></tr><tr style="height:6pt"><td colspan="3" style="border-left:1pt solid #000;padding:0 1pt"></td><td colspan="3" style="padding:0 1pt"></td><td colspan="3" style="padding:0 1pt"></td><td colspan="3" style="padding:0 1pt"></td><td colspan="3" style="display:none"></td><td colspan="3" style="display:none"></td><td colspan="3" style="padding:0 1pt"></td><td colspan="3" style="padding:0 1pt"></td><td colspan="3" style="padding:0 1pt"></td><td colspan="3" style="padding:0 1pt"></td><td colspan="3" style="padding:0 1pt"></td><td colspan="3" style="padding:0 1pt"></td><td colspan="3" style="border-right:1pt solid #000;padding:0 1pt"></td></tr><tr><td colspan="12" style="border-left:1pt solid #000;padding:2px 1pt;text-align:left;vertical-align:middle"><font style="color:#000000;font-family:'Arial',sans-serif;font-size:10pt;font-style:italic;font-weight:400;line-height:100%">(Dollars in Millions)</font></td><td colspan="3" style="display:none"></td><td colspan="3" style="display:none"></td><td colspan="3" style="padding:0 1pt"></td><td colspan="3" style="padding:0 1pt"></td><td colspan="3" style="padding:0 1pt"></td><td colspan="3" style="padding:0 1pt"></td><td colspan="3" style="padding:0 1pt"></td><td colspan="3" style="padding:0 1pt"></td><td colspan="3" style="border-right:1pt solid #000;padding:0 1pt"></td></tr><tr style="height:6pt"><td colspan="3" style="border-left:1pt solid #000;padding:0 1pt"></td><td colspan="3" style="padding:0 1pt"></td><td colspan="3" style="padding:0 1pt"></td><td colspan="3" style="padding:0 1pt"></td><td colspan="3" style="display:none"></td><td colspan="3" style="display:none"></td><td colspan="3" style="padding:0 1pt"></td><td colspan="3" style="padding:0 1pt"></td><td colspan="3" style="padding:0 1pt"></td><td colspan="3" style="padding:0 1pt"></td><td colspan="3" style="padding:0 1pt"></td><td colspan="3" style="padding:0 1pt"></td><td colspan="3" style="border-right:1pt solid #000;padding:0 1pt"></td></tr><tr style="height:15pt"><td colspan="3" style="border-left:1pt solid #000;padding:0 1pt"></td><td colspan="3" rowspan="2" style="border-left:2pt solid #000;border-right:2pt solid #000;border-top:2pt solid #000;padding:2px 1pt;text-align:center;vertical-align:middle"><font style="color:#000000;font-family:'Arial',sans-serif;font-size:10pt;font-weight:400;line-height:100%">WACC</font></td><td colspan="3" rowspan="2" style="border-left:2pt solid #000;padding:2px 1pt;text-align:center;vertical-align:middle"><font style="color:#000000;font-family:'Arial',sans-serif;font-size:10pt;font-weight:400;line-height:100%">&#61;</font></td><td colspan="3" rowspan="2" style="padding:2px 1pt;text-align:center;vertical-align:middle"><font style="color:#000000;font-family:'Arial',sans-serif;font-size:10pt;font-weight:400;line-height:100%">Cost of Debt (after tax)</font></td><td colspan="3" style="display:none"></td><td colspan="3" style="display:none"></td><td colspan="3" rowspan="2" style="padding:2px 1pt;text-align:center;vertical-align:middle"><font style="color:#000000;font-family:'Arial',sans-serif;font-size:10pt;font-weight:400;line-height:100%">x</font></td><td colspan="3" style="padding:2px 1pt;text-align:left;vertical-align:bottom"><div style="text-align:center"><font style="color:#000000;font-family:'Arial',sans-serif;font-size:10pt;font-weight:400;line-height:100%">Total Debt </font><font style="color:#000000;font-family:'Arial',sans-serif;font-size:6.5pt;font-style:italic;font-weight:400;line-height:100%;position:relative;top:-3.5pt;vertical-align:baseline">(a)</font></div></td><td colspan="3" rowspan="2" style="padding:2px 1pt;text-align:center;vertical-align:middle"><font style="color:#000000;font-family:'Arial',sans-serif;font-size:10pt;font-weight:400;line-height:100%">+</font></td><td colspan="3" rowspan="2" style="padding:2px 1pt;text-align:center;vertical-align:middle"><font style="color:#000000;font-family:'Arial',sans-serif;font-size:10pt;font-weight:400;line-height:100%">Cost of Equity</font></td><td colspan="3" rowspan="2" style="padding:2px 1pt;text-align:center;vertical-align:middle"><font style="color:#000000;font-family:'Arial',sans-serif;font-size:10pt;font-weight:400;line-height:100%">x</font></td><td colspan="3" style="padding:2px 1pt;text-align:left;vertical-align:middle"><div style="text-align:center"><font style="color:#000000;font-family:'Arial',sans-serif;font-size:10pt;font-weight:400;line-height:100%">Equity </font><font style="color:#000000;font-family:'Arial',sans-serif;font-size:6.5pt;font-style:italic;font-weight:400;line-height:100%;position:relative;top:-3.5pt;vertical-align:baseline">(b)</font></div></td><td colspan="3" style="border-right:1pt solid #000;padding:0 1pt"></td></tr><tr style="height:14pt"><td colspan="3" style="border-left:1pt solid #000;border-right:2pt solid #000;padding:0 1pt"></td><td colspan="3" style="border-top:1pt solid #000;padding:2px 1pt;text-align:center;vertical-align:bottom"><font style="color:#000000;font-family:'Arial',sans-serif;font-size:10pt;font-weight:400;line-height:100%">(Total Debt + Equity)</font></td><td colspan="3" style="border-top:1pt solid #000;padding:2px 1pt;text-align:center;vertical-align:middle"><font style="color:#000000;font-family:'Arial',sans-serif;font-size:10pt;font-weight:400;line-height:100%">(Total Debt + Equity)</font></td><td colspan="3" style="border-right:1pt solid #000;padding:0 1pt"></td></tr><tr style="height:15pt"><td colspan="3" style="border-left:1pt solid #000;padding:0 1pt"></td><td colspan="3" style="border-left:2pt solid #000;padding:0 1pt"></td><td colspan="3" style="border-left:2pt solid #000;padding:0 1pt"></td><td colspan="3" style="padding:0 1pt"></td><td colspan="3" style="display:none"></td><td colspan="3" style="display:none"></td><td colspan="3" style="padding:0 1pt"></td><td colspan="3" style="padding:0 1pt"></td><td colspan="3" style="padding:0 1pt"></td><td colspan="3" style="padding:0 1pt"></td><td colspan="3" style="padding:0 1pt"></td><td colspan="3" style="padding:0 1pt"></td><td colspan="3" style="border-right:1pt solid #000;padding:0 1pt"></td></tr><tr style="height:15pt"><td colspan="3" rowspan="2" style="border-left:1pt solid #000;border-right:2pt solid #000;padding:2px 1pt;text-align:center;vertical-align:middle"><font style="color:#000000;font-family:'Arial',sans-serif;font-size:10pt;font-weight:700;line-height:100%">2023</font></td><td colspan="3" rowspan="2" style="border-left:2pt solid #000;border-right:2pt solid #000;padding:2px 1pt;text-align:center;vertical-align:middle"><font style="color:#000000;font-family:'Arial',sans-serif;font-size:10pt;font-weight:700;line-height:100%">8.76%</font></td><td colspan="3" rowspan="2" style="border-left:2pt solid #000;padding:2px 1pt;text-align:center;vertical-align:middle"><font style="color:#000000;font-family:'Arial',sans-serif;font-size:10pt;font-weight:400;line-height:100%">&#61;</font></td><td colspan="3" rowspan="2" style="padding:2px 1pt;text-align:center;vertical-align:middle"><font style="color:#000000;font-family:'Arial',sans-serif;font-size:10pt;font-weight:400;line-height:100%">3.58%</font></td><td colspan="3" style="display:none"></td><td colspan="3" style="display:none"></td><td colspan="3" rowspan="2" style="padding:2px 1pt;text-align:center;vertical-align:middle"><font style="color:#000000;font-family:'Arial',sans-serif;font-size:10pt;font-weight:400;line-height:100%">x</font></td><td colspan="3" style="padding:2px 1pt;text-align:center;vertical-align:bottom"><font style="color:#000000;font-family:'Arial',sans-serif;font-size:10pt;font-weight:400;line-height:100%">$18,533</font></td><td colspan="3" rowspan="2" style="padding:2px 1pt;text-align:center;vertical-align:middle"><font style="color:#000000;font-family:'Arial',sans-serif;font-size:10pt;font-weight:400;line-height:100%">+</font></td><td colspan="3" rowspan="2" style="padding:2px 1pt;text-align:center;vertical-align:middle"><font style="color:#000000;font-family:'Arial',sans-serif;font-size:10pt;font-weight:400;line-height:100%">10.17%</font></td><td colspan="3" rowspan="2" style="padding:2px 1pt;text-align:center;vertical-align:middle"><font style="color:#000000;font-family:'Arial',sans-serif;font-size:10pt;font-weight:400;line-height:100%">x</font></td><td colspan="3" style="padding:2px 1pt;text-align:center;vertical-align:bottom"><font style="color:#000000;font-family:'Arial',sans-serif;font-size:10pt;font-weight:400;line-height:100%">$67,910</font></td><td colspan="3" style="border-right:1pt solid #000;padding:0 1pt"></td></tr><tr style="height:15pt"><td colspan="3" style="border-top:1pt solid #000;padding:2px 1pt;text-align:center;vertical-align:bottom"><font style="color:#000000;font-family:'Arial',sans-serif;font-size:10pt;font-weight:400;line-height:100%">($18,533 + $67,910)</font></td><td colspan="3" style="border-top:1pt solid #000;padding:2px 1pt;text-align:center;vertical-align:bottom"><font style="color:#000000;font-family:'Arial',sans-serif;font-size:10pt;font-weight:400;line-height:100%">($18,533 + $67,910)</font></td><td colspan="3" style="border-right:1pt solid #000;padding:0 1pt"></td></tr><tr style="height:15pt"><td colspan="3" style="border-left:1pt solid #000;padding:0 1pt"></td><td colspan="3" style="border-left:2pt solid #000;padding:0 1pt"></td><td colspan="3" style="border-left:2pt solid #000;padding:0 1pt"></td><td colspan="3" style="padding:0 1pt"></td><td colspan="3" style="display:none"></td><td colspan="3" style="display:none"></td><td colspan="3" style="padding:0 1pt"></td><td colspan="3" style="padding:0 1pt"></td><td colspan="3" style="padding:0 1pt"></td><td colspan="3" style="padding:0 1pt"></td><td colspan="3" style="padding:0 1pt"></td><td colspan="3" style="padding:0 1pt"></td><td colspan="3" style="border-right:1pt solid #000;padding:0 1pt"></td></tr><tr style="height:15pt"><td colspan="3" rowspan="2" style="border-left:1pt solid #000;border-right:2pt solid #000;padding:2px 1pt;text-align:center;vertical-align:middle"><font style="color:#000000;font-family:'Arial',sans-serif;font-size:10pt;font-weight:700;line-height:100%">2022</font></td><td colspan="3" rowspan="2" style="border-left:2pt solid #000;border-right:2pt solid #000;padding:2px 1pt;text-align:center;vertical-align:middle"><font style="color:#000000;font-family:'Arial',sans-serif;font-size:10pt;font-weight:700;line-height:100%">7.27%</font></td><td colspan="3" rowspan="2" style="border-left:2pt solid #000;padding:2px 1pt;text-align:left;vertical-align:middle"><div style="text-align:center"><font style="color:#ffffff;font-family:'Arial',sans-serif;font-size:10pt;font-weight:400;line-height:100%">&#8216;</font><font style="color:#000000;font-family:'Arial',sans-serif;font-size:10pt;font-weight:400;line-height:100%">&#61;</font></div></td><td colspan="3" rowspan="2" style="padding:2px 1pt;text-align:center;vertical-align:middle"><font style="color:#000000;font-family:'Arial',sans-serif;font-size:10pt;font-weight:400;line-height:100%">3.87%</font></td><td colspan="3" style="display:none"></td><td colspan="3" style="display:none"></td><td colspan="3" rowspan="2" style="padding:2px 1pt;text-align:center;vertical-align:middle"><font style="color:#000000;font-family:'Arial',sans-serif;font-size:10pt;font-weight:400;line-height:100%">x</font></td><td colspan="3" style="padding:2px 1pt;text-align:center;vertical-align:bottom"><font style="color:#000000;font-family:'Arial',sans-serif;font-size:10pt;font-weight:400;line-height:100%">$18,047</font></td><td colspan="3" rowspan="2" style="padding:2px 1pt;text-align:center;vertical-align:middle"><font style="color:#000000;font-family:'Arial',sans-serif;font-size:10pt;font-weight:400;line-height:100%">+</font></td><td colspan="3" rowspan="2" style="padding:2px 1pt;text-align:center;vertical-align:middle"><font style="color:#000000;font-family:'Arial',sans-serif;font-size:10pt;font-weight:400;line-height:100%">8.23%</font></td><td colspan="3" rowspan="2" style="padding:2px 1pt;text-align:center;vertical-align:middle"><font style="color:#000000;font-family:'Arial',sans-serif;font-size:10pt;font-weight:400;line-height:100%">x</font></td><td colspan="3" style="padding:2px 1pt;text-align:center;vertical-align:bottom"><font style="color:#000000;font-family:'Arial',sans-serif;font-size:10pt;font-weight:400;line-height:100%">$64,016</font></td><td colspan="3" style="border-right:1pt solid #000;padding:0 1pt"></td></tr><tr style="height:15pt"><td colspan="3" style="border-top:1pt solid #000;padding:2px 1pt;text-align:center;vertical-align:bottom"><font style="color:#000000;font-family:'Arial',sans-serif;font-size:10pt;font-weight:400;line-height:100%">($18,047 + $64,016)</font></td><td colspan="3" style="border-top:1pt solid #000;padding:2px 1pt;text-align:center;vertical-align:bottom"><font style="color:#000000;font-family:'Arial',sans-serif;font-size:10pt;font-weight:400;line-height:100%">($18,047 + $64,016)</font></td><td colspan="3" style="border-right:1pt solid #000;padding:0 1pt"></td></tr><tr style="height:15pt"><td colspan="3" style="border-bottom:1pt solid #000;border-left:1pt solid #000;padding:0 1pt"></td><td colspan="3" style="border-bottom:1pt solid #000;border-top:2pt solid #000;padding:0 1pt"></td><td colspan="3" style="border-bottom:1pt solid #000;padding:0 1pt"></td><td colspan="3" style="border-bottom:1pt solid #000;padding:0 1pt"></td><td colspan="3" style="display:none"></td><td colspan="3" style="display:none"></td><td colspan="3" style="border-bottom:1pt solid #000;padding:0 1pt"></td><td colspan="3" style="border-bottom:1pt solid #000;padding:0 1pt"></td><td colspan="3" style="border-bottom:1pt solid #000;padding:0 1pt"></td><td colspan="3" style="border-bottom:1pt solid #000;padding:0 1pt"></td><td colspan="3" style="border-bottom:1pt solid #000;padding:0 1pt"></td><td colspan="3" style="border-bottom:1pt solid #000;padding:0 1pt"></td><td colspan="3" style="border-bottom:1pt solid #000;border-right:1pt solid #000;padding:0 1pt"></td></tr></table></div><div style="text-align:center"><font><br></font></div><div><font style="color:#000000;font-family:'Arial',sans-serif;font-size:9pt;font-style:italic;font-weight:400;line-height:115%">(a) Total Debt is derived from the current maturities of long-term debt combined with the long-term debt from the balance sheet as of December 31, 2023 and December 31, 2022, respectively.</font></div><div><font style="color:#000000;font-family:'Arial',sans-serif;font-size:9pt;font-style:italic;font-weight:400;line-height:115%">(b) Equity is derived from shares outstanding multiplied by stock price as of December 31, 2023 and December 31, 2022, respectively. </font></div><div style="text-align:center"><font><br></font></div><div style="text-align:center"><table style="border-collapse:collapse;display:inline-table;margin-bottom:5pt;vertical-align:text-bottom;width:100.000%"><tr><td style="width:0.1%"></td><td style="width:1.474%"></td><td style="width:0.1%"></td><td style="width:1.0%"></td><td style="width:69.219%"></td><td style="width:0.1%"></td><td style="width:1.0%"></td><td style="width:11.685%"></td><td style="width:0.1%"></td><td style="width:0.1%"></td><td style="width:1.017%"></td><td style="width:0.1%"></td><td style="width:1.0%"></td><td style="width:11.685%"></td><td style="width:0.1%"></td><td style="width:0.1%"></td><td style="width:1.020%"></td><td style="width:0.1%"></td><td colspan="3" style="display:none"></td></tr><tr><td colspan="18" style="border-left:1pt solid #000;border-right:1pt solid #000;border-top:1pt solid #000;padding:2px 1pt;text-align:center;vertical-align:bottom"><font style="color:#000000;font-family:'Arial',sans-serif;font-size:10pt;font-weight:700;line-height:100%;text-decoration:underline">Supporting Inputs</font></td><td colspan="3" style="display:none"></td></tr><tr style="height:15pt"><td colspan="3" style="border-left:1pt solid #000;padding:0 1pt"></td><td colspan="3" style="padding:0 1pt"></td><td colspan="3" style="padding:0 1pt"></td><td colspan="3" style="padding:0 1pt"></td><td colspan="3" style="padding:0 1pt"></td><td colspan="3" style="border-right:1pt solid #000;padding:0 1pt"></td><td colspan="3" style="display:none"></td></tr><tr><td colspan="3" style="border-left:1pt solid #000;padding:0 1pt"></td><td colspan="3" style="padding:0 1pt"></td><td colspan="3" style="padding:2px 1pt;text-align:center;vertical-align:bottom"><font style="color:#000000;font-family:'Arial',sans-serif;font-size:10pt;font-weight:700;line-height:100%">2023</font></td><td colspan="3" style="padding:0 1pt"></td><td colspan="3" style="padding:2px 1pt;text-align:center;vertical-align:bottom"><font style="color:#000000;font-family:'Arial',sans-serif;font-size:10pt;font-weight:700;line-height:100%">2022</font></td><td colspan="3" style="border-right:1pt solid #000;padding:0 1pt"></td><td colspan="3" style="display:none"></td></tr><tr><td colspan="3" style="border-left:1pt solid #000;padding:0 1pt"></td><td colspan="3" style="padding:2px 1pt;text-align:left;vertical-align:bottom"><font style="color:#000000;font-family:'Arial',sans-serif;font-size:10pt;font-weight:400;line-height:100%">Risk Free Rate (10Y UST)</font></td><td colspan="2" style="border-top:1pt solid #000;padding:2px 0 2px 1pt;text-align:right;vertical-align:bottom"><font style="color:#000000;font-family:'Arial',sans-serif;font-size:10pt;font-weight:400;line-height:100%">3.88&#160;</font></td><td style="border-top:1pt solid #000;padding:2px 1pt 2px 0;text-align:right;vertical-align:bottom"><font style="color:#000000;font-family:'Arial',sans-serif;font-size:10pt;font-weight:400;line-height:100%">%</font></td><td colspan="3" style="padding:0 1pt"></td><td colspan="2" style="border-top:1pt solid #000;padding:2px 0 2px 1pt;text-align:right;vertical-align:bottom"><font style="color:#000000;font-family:'Arial',sans-serif;font-size:10pt;font-weight:400;line-height:100%">3.87&#160;</font></td><td style="border-top:1pt solid #000;padding:2px 1pt 2px 0;text-align:right;vertical-align:bottom"><font style="color:#000000;font-family:'Arial',sans-serif;font-size:10pt;font-weight:400;line-height:100%">%</font></td><td colspan="3" style="border-right:1pt solid #000;padding:0 1pt"></td><td colspan="3" style="display:none"></td></tr><tr><td colspan="3" style="border-left:1pt solid #000;padding:0 1pt"></td><td colspan="3" style="padding:2px 1pt;text-align:left;vertical-align:bottom"><font style="color:#000000;font-family:'Arial',sans-serif;font-size:10pt;font-weight:400;line-height:100%">Credit Spread (10Y)</font></td><td colspan="2" style="padding:2px 0 2px 1pt;text-align:right;vertical-align:bottom"><font style="color:#000000;font-family:'Arial',sans-serif;font-size:10pt;font-weight:400;line-height:100%">0.84&#160;</font></td><td style="padding:2px 1pt 2px 0;text-align:right;vertical-align:bottom"><font style="color:#000000;font-family:'Arial',sans-serif;font-size:10pt;font-weight:400;line-height:100%">%</font></td><td colspan="3" style="padding:0 1pt"></td><td colspan="2" style="padding:2px 0 2px 1pt;text-align:right;vertical-align:bottom"><font style="color:#000000;font-family:'Arial',sans-serif;font-size:10pt;font-weight:400;line-height:100%">1.16&#160;</font></td><td style="padding:2px 1pt 2px 0;text-align:right;vertical-align:bottom"><font style="color:#000000;font-family:'Arial',sans-serif;font-size:10pt;font-weight:400;line-height:100%">%</font></td><td colspan="3" style="border-right:1pt solid #000;padding:0 1pt"></td><td colspan="3" style="display:none"></td></tr><tr><td colspan="3" style="border-left:1pt solid #000;padding:0 1pt"></td><td colspan="3" style="padding:2px 1pt;text-align:left;vertical-align:bottom"><font style="color:#000000;font-family:'Arial',sans-serif;font-size:10pt;font-weight:400;line-height:100%">Cost of Debt (pre-tax)</font></td><td colspan="2" style="border-top:1pt solid #000;padding:2px 0 2px 1pt;text-align:right;vertical-align:bottom"><font style="color:#000000;font-family:'Arial',sans-serif;font-size:10pt;font-weight:400;line-height:100%">4.72&#160;</font></td><td style="border-top:1pt solid #000;padding:2px 1pt 2px 0;text-align:right;vertical-align:bottom"><font style="color:#000000;font-family:'Arial',sans-serif;font-size:10pt;font-weight:400;line-height:100%">%</font></td><td colspan="3" style="padding:0 1pt"></td><td colspan="2" style="border-top:1pt solid #000;padding:2px 0 2px 1pt;text-align:right;vertical-align:bottom"><font style="color:#000000;font-family:'Arial',sans-serif;font-size:10pt;font-weight:400;line-height:100%">5.03&#160;</font></td><td style="border-top:1pt solid #000;padding:2px 1pt 2px 0;text-align:right;vertical-align:bottom"><font style="color:#000000;font-family:'Arial',sans-serif;font-size:10pt;font-weight:400;line-height:100%">%</font></td><td colspan="3" style="border-right:1pt solid #000;padding:0 1pt"></td><td colspan="3" style="display:none"></td></tr><tr><td colspan="3" style="border-left:1pt solid #000;padding:0 1pt"></td><td colspan="3" style="padding:2px 1pt;text-align:left;vertical-align:bottom"><font style="color:#000000;font-family:'Arial',sans-serif;font-size:10pt;font-weight:400;line-height:100%">Tax Rate</font></td><td colspan="2" style="padding:2px 0 2px 1pt;text-align:right;vertical-align:bottom"><font style="color:#000000;font-family:'Arial',sans-serif;font-size:10pt;font-weight:400;line-height:100%">24.04&#160;</font></td><td style="padding:2px 1pt 2px 0;text-align:right;vertical-align:bottom"><font style="color:#000000;font-family:'Arial',sans-serif;font-size:10pt;font-weight:400;line-height:100%">%</font></td><td colspan="3" style="padding:0 1pt"></td><td colspan="2" style="padding:2px 0 2px 1pt;text-align:right;vertical-align:bottom"><font style="color:#000000;font-family:'Arial',sans-serif;font-size:10pt;font-weight:400;line-height:100%">23.05&#160;</font></td><td style="padding:2px 1pt 2px 0;text-align:right;vertical-align:bottom"><font style="color:#000000;font-family:'Arial',sans-serif;font-size:10pt;font-weight:400;line-height:100%">%</font></td><td colspan="3" style="border-right:1pt solid #000;padding:0 1pt"></td><td colspan="3" style="display:none"></td></tr><tr><td colspan="3" style="border-left:1pt solid #000;padding:0 1pt"></td><td colspan="3" style="padding:2px 1pt;text-align:left;vertical-align:bottom"><font style="color:#000000;font-family:'Arial',sans-serif;font-size:10pt;font-weight:700;line-height:100%">Cost of Debt (after-tax)</font></td><td colspan="2" style="border-top:1pt solid #000;padding:2px 0 2px 1pt;text-align:right;vertical-align:bottom"><font style="color:#000000;font-family:'Arial',sans-serif;font-size:10pt;font-weight:700;line-height:100%">3.58</font><font style="color:#000000;font-family:'Arial',sans-serif;font-size:10pt;font-weight:400;line-height:100%">&#160;</font></td><td style="border-top:1pt solid #000;padding:2px 1pt 2px 0;text-align:right;vertical-align:bottom"><font style="color:#000000;font-family:'Arial',sans-serif;font-size:10pt;font-weight:700;line-height:100%">%</font></td><td colspan="3" style="padding:0 1pt"></td><td colspan="2" style="border-top:1pt solid #000;padding:2px 0 2px 1pt;text-align:right;vertical-align:bottom"><font style="color:#000000;font-family:'Arial',sans-serif;font-size:10pt;font-weight:700;line-height:100%">3.87</font><font style="color:#000000;font-family:'Arial',sans-serif;font-size:10pt;font-weight:400;line-height:100%">&#160;</font></td><td style="border-top:1pt solid #000;padding:2px 1pt 2px 0;text-align:right;vertical-align:bottom"><font style="color:#000000;font-family:'Arial',sans-serif;font-size:10pt;font-weight:700;line-height:100%">%</font></td><td colspan="3" style="border-right:1pt solid #000;padding:0 1pt"></td><td colspan="3" style="display:none"></td></tr><tr style="height:15pt"><td colspan="3" style="border-left:1pt solid #000;padding:0 1pt"></td><td colspan="3" style="padding:0 1pt"></td><td colspan="3" style="border-top:3pt double #000;padding:0 1pt"></td><td colspan="3" style="padding:0 1pt"></td><td colspan="3" style="border-top:3pt double #000;padding:0 1pt"></td><td colspan="3" style="border-right:1pt solid #000;padding:0 1pt"></td><td colspan="3" style="display:none"></td></tr><tr style="height:15pt"><td colspan="3" style="border-left:1pt solid #000;padding:0 1pt"></td><td colspan="3" style="padding:0 1pt"></td><td colspan="3" style="padding:0 1pt"></td><td colspan="3" style="padding:0 1pt"></td><td colspan="3" style="padding:0 1pt"></td><td colspan="3" style="border-right:1pt solid #000;padding:0 1pt"></td><td colspan="3" style="display:none"></td></tr><tr><td colspan="3" style="border-left:1pt solid #000;padding:0 1pt"></td><td colspan="3" style="padding:2px 1pt;text-align:left;vertical-align:bottom"><font style="color:#000000;font-family:'Arial',sans-serif;font-size:10pt;font-weight:400;line-height:100%">Beta</font></td><td colspan="3" style="padding:2px 13pt 2px 1pt;text-align:right;vertical-align:bottom"><font style="color:#000000;font-family:'Arial',sans-serif;font-size:10pt;font-weight:400;line-height:100%">0.92</font></td><td colspan="3" style="padding:0 1pt"></td><td colspan="3" style="padding:2px 13pt 2px 1pt;text-align:right;vertical-align:bottom"><font style="color:#000000;font-family:'Arial',sans-serif;font-size:10pt;font-weight:400;line-height:100%">0.92</font></td><td colspan="3" style="border-right:1pt solid #000;padding:0 1pt"></td><td colspan="3" style="display:none"></td></tr><tr><td colspan="3" style="border-left:1pt solid #000;padding:0 1pt"></td><td colspan="3" style="padding:2px 1pt;text-align:left;vertical-align:bottom"><font style="color:#000000;font-family:'Arial',sans-serif;font-size:10pt;font-weight:400;line-height:100%">Risk Free Rate (10Y UST)</font></td><td colspan="2" style="padding:2px 0 2px 1pt;text-align:right;vertical-align:bottom"><font style="color:#000000;font-family:'Arial',sans-serif;font-size:10pt;font-weight:400;line-height:100%">3.88&#160;</font></td><td style="padding:2px 1pt 2px 0;text-align:right;vertical-align:bottom"><font style="color:#000000;font-family:'Arial',sans-serif;font-size:10pt;font-weight:400;line-height:100%">%</font></td><td colspan="3" style="padding:0 1pt"></td><td colspan="2" style="padding:2px 0 2px 1pt;text-align:right;vertical-align:bottom"><font style="color:#000000;font-family:'Arial',sans-serif;font-size:10pt;font-weight:400;line-height:100%">3.87&#160;</font></td><td style="padding:2px 1pt 2px 0;text-align:right;vertical-align:bottom"><font style="color:#000000;font-family:'Arial',sans-serif;font-size:10pt;font-weight:400;line-height:100%">%</font></td><td colspan="3" style="border-right:1pt solid #000;padding:0 1pt"></td><td colspan="3" style="display:none"></td></tr><tr><td colspan="3" style="border-left:1pt solid #000;padding:0 1pt"></td><td colspan="3" style="padding:2px 1pt;text-align:left;vertical-align:bottom"><font style="color:#000000;font-family:'Arial',sans-serif;font-size:10pt;font-weight:400;line-height:100%">Expected Market Return</font></td><td colspan="2" style="padding:2px 0 2px 1pt;text-align:right;vertical-align:bottom"><font style="color:#000000;font-family:'Arial',sans-serif;font-size:10pt;font-weight:400;line-height:100%">10.75&#160;</font></td><td style="padding:2px 1pt 2px 0;text-align:right;vertical-align:bottom"><font style="color:#000000;font-family:'Arial',sans-serif;font-size:10pt;font-weight:400;line-height:100%">%</font></td><td colspan="3" style="padding:0 1pt"></td><td colspan="2" style="padding:2px 0 2px 1pt;text-align:right;vertical-align:bottom"><font style="color:#000000;font-family:'Arial',sans-serif;font-size:10pt;font-weight:400;line-height:100%">8.61&#160;</font></td><td style="padding:2px 1pt 2px 0;text-align:right;vertical-align:bottom"><font style="color:#000000;font-family:'Arial',sans-serif;font-size:10pt;font-weight:400;line-height:100%">%</font></td><td colspan="3" style="border-right:1pt solid #000;padding:0 1pt"></td><td colspan="3" style="display:none"></td></tr><tr><td colspan="3" style="border-left:1pt solid #000;padding:0 1pt"></td><td colspan="3" style="padding:2px 1pt;text-align:left;vertical-align:bottom"><font style="color:#000000;font-family:'Arial',sans-serif;font-size:10pt;font-weight:700;line-height:100%">Cost of Equity</font></td><td colspan="2" style="border-top:1pt solid #000;padding:2px 0 2px 1pt;text-align:right;vertical-align:bottom"><font style="color:#000000;font-family:'Arial',sans-serif;font-size:10pt;font-weight:700;line-height:100%">10.17</font><font style="color:#000000;font-family:'Arial',sans-serif;font-size:10pt;font-weight:400;line-height:100%">&#160;</font></td><td style="border-top:1pt solid #000;padding:2px 1pt 2px 0;text-align:right;vertical-align:bottom"><font style="color:#000000;font-family:'Arial',sans-serif;font-size:10pt;font-weight:700;line-height:100%">%</font></td><td colspan="3" style="padding:0 1pt"></td><td colspan="2" style="border-top:1pt solid #000;padding:2px 0 2px 1pt;text-align:right;vertical-align:bottom"><font style="color:#000000;font-family:'Arial',sans-serif;font-size:10pt;font-weight:700;line-height:100%">8.23</font><font style="color:#000000;font-family:'Arial',sans-serif;font-size:10pt;font-weight:400;line-height:100%">&#160;</font></td><td style="border-top:1pt solid #000;padding:2px 1pt 2px 0;text-align:right;vertical-align:bottom"><font style="color:#000000;font-family:'Arial',sans-serif;font-size:10pt;font-weight:700;line-height:100%">%</font></td><td colspan="3" style="border-right:1pt solid #000;padding:0 1pt"></td><td colspan="3" style="display:none"></td></tr><tr style="height:15pt"><td colspan="3" style="border-bottom:1pt solid #000;border-left:1pt solid #000;padding:0 1pt"></td><td colspan="3" style="border-bottom:1pt solid #000;padding:0 1pt"></td><td colspan="3" style="border-bottom:1pt solid #000;border-top:3pt double #000;padding:0 1pt"></td><td colspan="3" style="border-bottom:1pt solid #000;padding:0 1pt"></td><td colspan="3" style="border-bottom:1pt solid #000;border-top:3pt double #000;padding:0 1pt"></td><td colspan="3" style="border-bottom:1pt solid #000;border-right:1pt solid #000;padding:0 1pt"></td><td colspan="3" style="display:none"></td></tr><tr><td colspan="3" style="display:none"></td><td colspan="3" style="display:none"></td></tr><tr><td colspan="3" style="display:none"></td><td colspan="3" style="display:none"></td><td colspan="3" style="display:none"></td><td colspan="3" style="display:none"></td><td colspan="3" style="display:none"></td><td colspan="3" style="display:none"></td><td colspan="3" style="display:none"></td></tr><tr><td colspan="3" style="display:none"></td><td colspan="3" style="display:none"></td><td colspan="3" style="display:none"></td><td colspan="3" style="display:none"></td></tr><tr><td colspan="3" style="display:none"></td><td colspan="3" style="display:none"></td><td colspan="3" style="display:none"></td><td colspan="3" style="display:none"></td></tr><tr><td colspan="3" style="display:none"></td><td colspan="3" style="display:none"></td><td colspan="3" style="display:none"></td><td colspan="3" style="display:none"></td><td colspan="3" style="display:none"></td><td colspan="3" style="display:none"></td><td colspan="3" style="display:none"></td></tr><tr><td colspan="3" style="display:none"></td><td colspan="3" style="display:none"></td><td colspan="3" style="display:none"></td><td colspan="3" style="display:none"></td></tr><tr><td colspan="3" style="display:none"></td><td colspan="3" style="display:none"></td><td colspan="3" style="display:none"></td><td colspan="3" style="display:none"></td></tr><tr><td colspan="3" style="display:none"></td><td colspan="3" style="display:none"></td><td colspan="3" style="display:none"></td><td colspan="3" style="display:none"></td></tr><tr><td colspan="3" style="display:none"></td><td colspan="3" style="display:none"></td><td colspan="3" style="display:none"></td><td colspan="3" style="display:none"></td><td colspan="3" style="display:none"></td><td colspan="3" style="display:none"></td><td colspan="3" style="display:none"></td></tr></table></div><div style="text-align:center"><font><br></font></div><div style="text-align:justify;text-indent:36pt"><font><br></font></div><div style="text-align:justify;text-indent:36pt"><font style="color:#000000;font-family:'Arial',sans-serif;font-size:10pt;font-weight:400;line-height:115%">The initial internal use of this measure in 2022 was based on an 8% required return that aligned with the rate reviewed and approved by the Company&#8217;s Board of Directors. Since then, our required return has remained within the 2 percentage points and has not required a change.</font></div><div style="height:72pt;position:relative;width:100%"><div style="bottom:0;position:absolute;width:100%"><div><font><br></font></div></div></div><div id="i7b385806f2a943ea9af780de8a60ec5d_1649267441718"></div><hr style="page-break-after:always"><div style="min-height:72pt;width:100%"><div><font style="color:#000000;font-family:'Arial',sans-serif;font-size:11pt;font-weight:400;line-height:115%">Mr. Karl Hiller</font></div><div><font style="color:#000000;font-family:'Arial',sans-serif;font-size:11pt;font-weight:400;line-height:120%">U. S. Securities and Exchange Commission</font></div><div><font style="color:#000000;font-family:'Arial',sans-serif;font-size:11pt;font-weight:400;line-height:120%">March 25, 2024</font></div><div><font style="color:#000000;font-family:'Arial',sans-serif;font-size:11pt;font-weight:400;line-height:120%">Page </font><font style="color:#000000;font-family:'Arial',sans-serif;font-size:12pt;font-weight:400;line-height:120%">9 of 10</font></div></div><div style="text-align:center"><font style="color:#000000;font-family:'Arial',sans-serif;font-size:11pt;font-weight:700;line-height:120%">APPENDIX C - Revised Non-GAAP Disclosure</font></div><div style="text-align:justify"><font><br></font></div><div style="text-align:justify"><font style="color:#000000;font-family:'Arial',sans-serif;font-size:11pt;font-style:italic;font-weight:400;line-height:120%">Economic Profit</font></div><div style="margin-bottom:6pt;text-align:justify;text-indent:36pt"><font style="color:#000000;font-family:'Arial',sans-serif;font-size:11pt;font-weight:400;line-height:112%">Management believes Economic Profit (also referred to as CSX Cash Earnings or CCE) provides an additional perspective to investors about financial returns generated by the business by representing a measure showing profit generated over and above the cost of capital used by the business to generate that profit. Economic Profit is designed to incentivize strategic investments that earn more than management&#8217;s desired minimum required return and is broadly utilized by management to make investment decisions. Therefore, disclosing Economic Profit on how management performs in this regard provides additional useful information to investors regarding the Company&#8217;s performance compared to its goals.</font></div><div style="margin-bottom:6pt;text-align:justify;text-indent:36pt"><font style="color:#000000;font-family:'Arial',sans-serif;font-size:11pt;font-weight:400;line-height:112%">Economic Profit should be considered in addition to, rather than a substitute for, operating income, which is the most directly comparable GAAP measure. Economic Profit is defined by the Company as Gross Cash Earnings (&#8220;GCE&#8221;) minus the Capital Charge on Gross Operating Assets (&#8220;GOA&#8221;). Increases in Economic Profit indicate that the Company is effectively allocating capital and rewarding shareholders by generating returns in excess of the incremental cost of capital associated with reinvestment in the business.</font></div><div style="margin-bottom:6pt;text-align:justify;text-indent:36pt"><font style="color:#000000;font-family:'Arial',sans-serif;font-size:11pt;font-weight:400;line-height:112%"> GCE is calculated as operating income plus depreciation, amortization and operating lease expense, less unusual items and taxes. The Capital Charge uses a minimum required return  multiplied by the GOA. CSX's GOAs include gross properties and other non-cash assets, net of non-interest bearing liabilities. The Company used a 15% tax rate and an 8% required return, for both periods presented, which is consistent with rates used for investment decisions and performance evaluation within those same periods. The tax rate is the approximate equivalent of the Company&#8217;s actual income tax expense as a percentage of pre-tax GCE. The required return rate represents management&#8217;s desired minimum return on any investment. CSX annually re-evaluates these rates to ensure they accurately represent taxes and a required return in light of internal and external factors and would adjust the rate if the annual review resulted in a preset deviation from the current rates. This focuses the Economic Profit measure on value generated by management instead of external factors, such as legislative tax policy or interest rate volatility. </font></div><div style="margin-bottom:6pt;text-align:justify;text-indent:36pt"><font><br></font></div><div style="margin-bottom:6pt;text-align:justify;text-indent:36pt"><font><br></font></div><div style="margin-bottom:6pt;text-align:justify;text-indent:36pt"><font><br></font></div><div style="margin-bottom:6pt;text-align:justify;text-indent:36pt"><font><br></font></div><div style="margin-bottom:6pt;text-align:justify;text-indent:36pt"><font><br></font></div><div style="margin-bottom:6pt;text-align:justify;text-indent:36pt"><font><br></font></div><div style="margin-bottom:6pt;text-align:justify;text-indent:36pt"><font><br></font></div><div style="margin-bottom:6pt;text-align:justify;text-indent:36pt"><font><br></font></div><div style="margin-bottom:6pt;text-align:justify;text-indent:36pt"><font><br></font></div><div style="margin-bottom:6pt;text-align:justify;text-indent:36pt"><font><br></font></div><div style="margin-bottom:6pt;text-align:justify;text-indent:36pt"><font><br></font></div><div style="margin-bottom:6pt;text-align:justify;text-indent:36pt"><font><br></font></div><div style="margin-bottom:6pt;text-align:justify;text-indent:36pt"><font><br></font></div><div style="height:72pt;position:relative;width:100%"><div style="bottom:0;position:absolute;width:100%"><div><font><br></font></div></div></div><hr style="page-break-after:always"><div style="min-height:72pt;width:100%"><div><font style="color:#000000;font-family:'Arial',sans-serif;font-size:11pt;font-weight:400;line-height:115%">Mr. Karl Hiller</font></div><div><font style="color:#000000;font-family:'Arial',sans-serif;font-size:11pt;font-weight:400;line-height:120%">U. S. Securities and Exchange Commission</font></div><div><font style="color:#000000;font-family:'Arial',sans-serif;font-size:11pt;font-weight:400;line-height:120%">March 25, 2024</font></div><div><font style="color:#000000;font-family:'Arial',sans-serif;font-size:11pt;font-weight:400;line-height:120%">Page </font><font style="color:#000000;font-family:'Arial',sans-serif;font-size:12pt;font-weight:400;line-height:120%">10 of 10</font></div></div><div style="margin-bottom:6pt;text-align:justify;text-indent:36pt"><font style="color:#000000;font-family:'Arial',sans-serif;font-size:11pt;font-weight:400;line-height:120%">The following table reconciles operating income (the most directly comparable GAAP measure) to Economic Profit (non-GAAP measure).</font></div><div style="margin-bottom:6pt;text-align:justify"><table style="border-collapse:collapse;display:inline-table;margin-bottom:5pt;vertical-align:text-bottom;width:100.000%"><tr><td style="width:1.0%"></td><td style="width:68.783%"></td><td style="width:0.1%"></td><td style="width:1.0%"></td><td style="width:13.958%"></td><td style="width:0.1%"></td><td style="width:1.0%"></td><td style="width:13.959%"></td><td style="width:0.1%"></td></tr><tr><td colspan="3" style="padding:0 1pt"></td><td colspan="6" style="padding:2px 1pt;text-align:center;vertical-align:bottom"><font style="color:#000000;font-family:'Arial',sans-serif;font-size:11pt;font-weight:700;line-height:100%">Years Ended</font></td></tr><tr><td colspan="3" style="padding:2px 1pt;text-align:left;vertical-align:bottom"><div><font style="color:#000000;font-family:'Arial',sans-serif;font-size:11pt;font-style:italic;font-weight:400;line-height:100%">(Dollars in Millions)</font></div></td><td colspan="3" style="border-top:1pt solid #000;padding:2px 1pt;text-align:left;vertical-align:bottom"><div style="text-align:center"><font style="color:#000000;font-family:'Arial',sans-serif;font-size:11pt;font-weight:700;line-height:100%">2023</font></div></td><td colspan="3" style="border-top:1pt solid #000;padding:2px 1pt;text-align:left;vertical-align:bottom"><div style="text-align:center"><font style="color:#000000;font-family:'Arial',sans-serif;font-size:11pt;font-weight:400;line-height:100%">2022</font></div></td></tr><tr><td colspan="3" style="padding:2px 1pt;text-align:left;vertical-align:bottom"><div><font style="color:#000000;font-family:'Arial',sans-serif;font-size:11pt;font-weight:700;line-height:100%">Operating Income</font></div></td><td style="border-top:1pt solid #000;padding:2px 0 2px 1pt;text-align:left;vertical-align:bottom"><font style="color:#000000;font-family:'Arial',sans-serif;font-size:11pt;font-weight:700;line-height:100%">$</font></td><td style="border-top:1pt solid #000;padding:2px 0;text-align:right;vertical-align:bottom"><font style="color:#000000;font-family:'Arial',sans-serif;font-size:11pt;font-weight:700;line-height:100%">5,561</font><font style="color:#000000;font-family:'Arial',sans-serif;font-size:11pt;font-weight:400;line-height:100%">&#160;</font></td><td style="border-top:1pt solid #000;padding:2px 1pt 2px 0;text-align:right;vertical-align:bottom"></td><td style="border-top:1pt solid #000;padding:2px 0 2px 1pt;text-align:left;vertical-align:bottom"><font style="color:#000000;font-family:'Arial',sans-serif;font-size:11pt;font-weight:700;line-height:100%">$</font></td><td style="border-top:1pt solid #000;padding:2px 0;text-align:right;vertical-align:bottom"><font style="color:#000000;font-family:'Arial',sans-serif;font-size:11pt;font-weight:700;line-height:100%">6,023</font><font style="color:#000000;font-family:'Arial',sans-serif;font-size:11pt;font-weight:400;line-height:100%">&#160;</font></td><td style="border-top:1pt solid #000;padding:2px 1pt 2px 0;text-align:right;vertical-align:bottom"></td></tr><tr><td colspan="3" style="padding:2px 1pt 2px 19pt;text-align:left;vertical-align:bottom"><font style="color:#000000;font-family:'Arial',sans-serif;font-size:11pt;font-weight:400;line-height:100%">Add&#58; Depreciation, Amortization, and Operating Lease Expense</font></td><td colspan="2" style="padding:2px 0 2px 1pt;text-align:right;vertical-align:bottom"><font style="color:#000000;font-family:'Arial',sans-serif;font-size:11pt;font-weight:400;line-height:100%">1,720&#160;</font></td><td style="padding:2px 1pt 2px 0;text-align:right;vertical-align:bottom"></td><td colspan="2" style="padding:2px 0 2px 1pt;text-align:right;vertical-align:bottom"><font style="color:#000000;font-family:'Arial',sans-serif;font-size:11pt;font-weight:400;line-height:100%">1,609&#160;</font></td><td style="padding:2px 1pt 2px 0;text-align:right;vertical-align:bottom"></td></tr><tr><td colspan="3" style="padding:2px 1pt;text-align:left;vertical-align:bottom"><div style="padding-left:18pt"><font style="color:#000000;font-family:'Arial',sans-serif;font-size:11pt;font-weight:400;line-height:100%">Remove&#58; Unusual Items </font><font style="color:#000000;font-family:'Arial',sans-serif;font-size:7.15pt;font-weight:400;line-height:100%;position:relative;top:-3.85pt;vertical-align:baseline">(a)</font></div></td><td colspan="2" style="padding:2px 0 2px 1pt;text-align:right;vertical-align:bottom"><font style="color:#000000;font-family:'Arial',sans-serif;font-size:11pt;font-weight:400;line-height:100%">&#8212;&#160;</font></td><td style="padding:2px 1pt 2px 0;text-align:right;vertical-align:bottom"></td><td colspan="2" style="padding:2px 0 2px 1pt;text-align:right;vertical-align:bottom"><font style="color:#000000;font-family:'Arial',sans-serif;font-size:11pt;font-weight:400;line-height:100%">(144)</font></td><td style="padding:2px 1pt 2px 0;text-align:right;vertical-align:bottom"></td></tr><tr><td colspan="3" style="padding:2px 1pt;text-align:left;vertical-align:bottom"><div style="text-indent:27pt"><font style="color:#000000;font-family:'Arial',sans-serif;font-size:11pt;font-weight:400;line-height:100%">Taxes </font><font style="color:#000000;font-family:'Arial',sans-serif;font-size:7.15pt;font-weight:400;line-height:100%;position:relative;top:-3.85pt;vertical-align:baseline">(b)</font></div></td><td colspan="2" style="padding:2px 0 2px 1pt;text-align:right;vertical-align:bottom"><font style="color:#000000;font-family:'Arial',sans-serif;font-size:11pt;font-weight:400;line-height:100%">(1,092)</font></td><td style="padding:2px 1pt 2px 0;text-align:right;vertical-align:bottom"></td><td colspan="2" style="padding:2px 0 2px 1pt;text-align:right;vertical-align:bottom"><font style="color:#000000;font-family:'Arial',sans-serif;font-size:11pt;font-weight:400;line-height:100%">(1,123)</font></td><td style="padding:2px 1pt 2px 0;text-align:right;vertical-align:bottom"></td></tr><tr><td colspan="3" style="padding:2px 1pt;text-align:left;vertical-align:bottom"><div style="text-indent:27pt"><font style="color:#000000;font-family:'Arial',sans-serif;font-size:11pt;font-weight:400;line-height:100%">Gross Cash Earnings or &#8220;GCE&#8221;</font></div></td><td colspan="2" style="border-top:1pt solid #000;padding:2px 0 2px 1pt;text-align:right;vertical-align:bottom"><font style="color:#000000;font-family:'Arial',sans-serif;font-size:11pt;font-weight:400;line-height:100%">6,189&#160;</font></td><td style="border-top:1pt solid #000;padding:2px 1pt 2px 0;text-align:right;vertical-align:bottom"></td><td colspan="2" style="border-top:1pt solid #000;padding:2px 0 2px 1pt;text-align:right;vertical-align:bottom"><font style="color:#000000;font-family:'Arial',sans-serif;font-size:11pt;font-weight:400;line-height:100%">6,365&#160;</font></td><td style="border-top:1pt solid #000;padding:2px 1pt 2px 0;text-align:right;vertical-align:bottom"></td></tr><tr style="height:11pt"><td colspan="3" style="padding:0 1pt"></td><td colspan="3" style="padding:0 1pt"></td><td colspan="3" style="padding:0 1pt"></td></tr><tr><td colspan="3" style="padding:2px 1pt;text-align:left;vertical-align:bottom"><div><font style="color:#000000;font-family:'Arial',sans-serif;font-size:11pt;font-weight:400;line-height:100%">Operating Assets</font></div></td><td colspan="3" style="padding:0 1pt"></td><td colspan="3" style="padding:0 1pt"></td></tr><tr><td colspan="3" style="padding:2px 1pt 2px 7pt;text-align:left;vertical-align:bottom"><font style="color:#000000;font-family:'Arial',sans-serif;font-size:11pt;font-weight:400;line-height:100%">Current Assets (Less Cash and Short-term Investments)</font></td><td colspan="2" style="padding:2px 0 2px 1pt;text-align:right;vertical-align:bottom"><font style="color:#000000;font-family:'Arial',sans-serif;font-size:11pt;font-weight:400;line-height:100%">(1,908)</font></td><td style="padding:2px 1pt 2px 0;text-align:right;vertical-align:bottom"></td><td colspan="2" style="padding:2px 0 2px 1pt;text-align:right;vertical-align:bottom"><font style="color:#000000;font-family:'Arial',sans-serif;font-size:11pt;font-weight:400;line-height:100%">(1,843)</font></td><td style="padding:2px 1pt 2px 0;text-align:right;vertical-align:bottom"></td></tr><tr><td colspan="3" style="padding:2px 1pt 2px 7pt;text-align:left;vertical-align:bottom"><font style="color:#000000;font-family:'Arial',sans-serif;font-size:11pt;font-weight:400;line-height:100%">Gross Properties</font></td><td colspan="2" style="padding:2px 0 2px 1pt;text-align:right;vertical-align:bottom"><font style="color:#000000;font-family:'Arial',sans-serif;font-size:11pt;font-weight:400;line-height:100%">(49,212)</font></td><td style="padding:2px 1pt 2px 0;text-align:right;vertical-align:bottom"></td><td colspan="2" style="padding:2px 0 2px 1pt;text-align:right;vertical-align:bottom"><font style="color:#000000;font-family:'Arial',sans-serif;font-size:11pt;font-weight:400;line-height:100%">(47,471)</font></td><td style="padding:2px 1pt 2px 0;text-align:right;vertical-align:bottom"></td></tr><tr><td colspan="3" style="padding:2px 1pt 2px 7pt;text-align:left;vertical-align:bottom"><font style="color:#000000;font-family:'Arial',sans-serif;font-size:11pt;font-weight:400;line-height:100%">Other Assets</font></td><td colspan="2" style="padding:2px 0 2px 1pt;text-align:right;vertical-align:bottom"><font style="color:#000000;font-family:'Arial',sans-serif;font-size:11pt;font-weight:400;line-height:100%">(3,896)</font></td><td style="padding:2px 1pt 2px 0;text-align:right;vertical-align:bottom"></td><td colspan="2" style="padding:2px 0 2px 1pt;text-align:right;vertical-align:bottom"><font style="color:#000000;font-family:'Arial',sans-serif;font-size:11pt;font-weight:400;line-height:100%">(3,862)</font></td><td style="padding:2px 1pt 2px 0;text-align:right;vertical-align:bottom"></td></tr><tr><td colspan="3" style="padding:2px 1pt;text-align:left;vertical-align:bottom"><div><font style="color:#000000;font-family:'Arial',sans-serif;font-size:11pt;font-weight:400;line-height:100%">Operating Liabilities</font></div></td><td colspan="3" style="padding:0 1pt"></td><td colspan="3" style="padding:0 1pt"></td></tr><tr><td colspan="3" style="padding:2px 1pt 2px 7pt;text-align:left;vertical-align:bottom"><font style="color:#000000;font-family:'Arial',sans-serif;font-size:11pt;font-weight:400;line-height:100%">Non-Interest Bearing Liabilities</font></td><td colspan="2" style="padding:2px 0 2px 1pt;text-align:right;vertical-align:bottom"><font style="color:#000000;font-family:'Arial',sans-serif;font-size:11pt;font-weight:400;line-height:100%">10,873&#160;</font></td><td style="padding:2px 1pt 2px 0;text-align:right;vertical-align:bottom"></td><td colspan="2" style="padding:2px 0 2px 1pt;text-align:right;vertical-align:bottom"><font style="color:#000000;font-family:'Arial',sans-serif;font-size:11pt;font-weight:400;line-height:100%">10,640&#160;</font></td><td style="padding:2px 1pt 2px 0;text-align:right;vertical-align:bottom"></td></tr><tr><td colspan="3" style="padding:2px 1pt;text-align:left;vertical-align:bottom"><div style="text-indent:27pt"><font style="color:#000000;font-family:'Arial',sans-serif;font-size:11pt;font-weight:400;line-height:100%">Gross Operating Assets or &#8220;GOA&#8221;</font><font style="color:#000000;font-family:'Arial',sans-serif;font-size:7.15pt;font-weight:400;line-height:100%;position:relative;top:-3.85pt;vertical-align:baseline"> (c)</font></div></td><td colspan="2" style="border-top:1pt solid #000;padding:2px 0 2px 1pt;text-align:right;vertical-align:bottom"><font style="color:#000000;font-family:'Arial',sans-serif;font-size:11pt;font-weight:400;line-height:100%">(44,143)</font></td><td style="border-top:1pt solid #000;padding:2px 1pt 2px 0;text-align:right;vertical-align:bottom"></td><td colspan="2" style="border-top:1pt solid #000;padding:2px 0 2px 1pt;text-align:right;vertical-align:bottom"><font style="color:#000000;font-family:'Arial',sans-serif;font-size:11pt;font-weight:400;line-height:100%">(42,536)</font></td><td style="border-top:1pt solid #000;padding:2px 1pt 2px 0;text-align:right;vertical-align:bottom"></td></tr><tr><td colspan="3" style="padding:2px 1pt;text-align:left;vertical-align:bottom"><div style="text-indent:27pt"><font style="color:#000000;font-family:'Arial',sans-serif;font-size:11pt;font-weight:400;line-height:100%">Capital Charge </font><font style="color:#000000;font-family:'Arial',sans-serif;font-size:7.15pt;font-weight:400;line-height:100%;position:relative;top:-3.85pt;vertical-align:baseline">(d)</font></div></td><td colspan="2" style="padding:2px 0 2px 1pt;text-align:right;vertical-align:bottom"><font style="color:#000000;font-family:'Arial',sans-serif;font-size:11pt;font-weight:400;line-height:100%">(3,531)</font></td><td style="padding:2px 1pt 2px 0;text-align:right;vertical-align:bottom"></td><td colspan="2" style="padding:2px 0 2px 1pt;text-align:right;vertical-align:bottom"><font style="color:#000000;font-family:'Arial',sans-serif;font-size:11pt;font-weight:400;line-height:100%">(3,403)</font></td><td style="padding:2px 1pt 2px 0;text-align:right;vertical-align:bottom"></td></tr><tr><td colspan="3" style="padding:2px 1pt;text-align:left;vertical-align:bottom"><div style="text-indent:27pt"><font style="color:#000000;font-family:'Arial',sans-serif;font-size:11pt;font-weight:400;line-height:100%">Economic Profit (Non-GAAP) </font></div><div style="text-indent:27pt"><font style="color:#000000;font-family:'Arial',sans-serif;font-size:11pt;font-weight:400;line-height:100%">calculated as GCE less Capital Charge</font></div></td><td style="border-bottom:3pt double #000;border-top:1pt solid #000;padding:2px 0 2px 1pt;text-align:left;vertical-align:bottom"><font style="color:#000000;font-family:'Arial',sans-serif;font-size:11pt;font-weight:400;line-height:100%">$</font></td><td style="border-bottom:3pt double #000;border-top:1pt solid #000;padding:2px 0;text-align:right;vertical-align:bottom"><font style="color:#000000;font-family:'Arial',sans-serif;font-size:11pt;font-weight:400;line-height:100%">2,658&#160;</font></td><td style="border-bottom:3pt double #000;border-top:1pt solid #000;padding:2px 1pt 2px 0;text-align:right;vertical-align:bottom"></td><td style="border-bottom:3pt double #000;border-top:1pt solid #000;padding:2px 0 2px 1pt;text-align:left;vertical-align:bottom"><font style="color:#000000;font-family:'Arial',sans-serif;font-size:11pt;font-weight:400;line-height:100%">$</font></td><td style="border-bottom:3pt double #000;border-top:1pt solid #000;padding:2px 0;text-align:right;vertical-align:bottom"><font style="color:#000000;font-family:'Arial',sans-serif;font-size:11pt;font-weight:400;line-height:100%">2,962&#160;</font></td><td style="border-bottom:3pt double #000;border-top:1pt solid #000;padding:2px 1pt 2px 0;text-align:right;vertical-align:bottom"></td></tr></table></div><div style="text-align:justify"><font><br></font></div><div style="margin-bottom:6pt;margin-top:6pt;text-align:justify"><font style="color:#000000;font-family:'Arial',sans-serif;font-size:9pt;font-style:italic;font-weight:400;line-height:120%">(a) Unusual items are defined by management as unique events with greater than $100 million full year operating income impact, consistent with the terms of the Company's long-term incentive plan agreements. Gains from the Virginia transaction of $144 million were excluded for 2022.</font></div><div style="margin-bottom:6pt;margin-top:6pt;text-align:justify"><font style="color:#000000;font-family:'Arial',sans-serif;font-size:9pt;font-style:italic;font-weight:400;line-height:120%">(b) The tax percentage rate was 15% for both periods presented. This rate is applied to the sum of operating income, depreciation, amortization and operating lease expense, and unusual items.</font></div><div style="text-align:justify"><font style="color:#000000;font-family:'Arial',sans-serif;font-size:9pt;font-style:italic;font-weight:400;line-height:120%">(c) Gross operating assets reflects an average of the four quarters reported for each year presented.</font></div><div style="margin-top:6pt;text-align:justify"><font style="color:#000000;font-family:'Arial',sans-serif;font-size:9pt;font-style:italic;font-weight:400;line-height:120%">(d) The capital charge of 8% for both years is calculated as the minimum return multiplied by gross operating assets.</font></div><div style="height:72pt;position:relative;width:100%"><div style="bottom:0;position:absolute;width:100%"><div><font><br></font></div></div></div></body></html>
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</SEC-DOCUMENT>
