Shipments carried by U.S. railroads rose 3.3 percent last week compared with a year earlier, a major industry trade group reported Thursday.

CSX Corp. says preliminary results of the railroad's contentious board vote show that four out of five directors nominated by activist hedge fund shareholders TCI and 3G Capital have been elected to its board.

The "final outcome" of a contested shareholder vote at U.S. railroad CSX Corp <CSX.N> will depend on a court ruling later this summer on whether two hedge funds could vote all their shares, the company's top official said on Wednesday.

As it continues to defend the strength of its operations and management team in a bitter proxy battle, freight railroad operator CSX Corp. said Tuesday its second-quarter earnings rose 19 percent on strong demand for coal, grain and metals.

CSX, the U.S. railroad, reported higher second-quarter net profit that met expectation on Tuesday, as strong pricing offset a 3 percent decline in freight volumes.

CSX Corp. reports earnings for the second quarter on Tuesday. The following is a summary of key developments and analyst opinion related to the period.

Shares of railroads and shippers fell Friday morning as the broader market was shaken by fears that a government bailout might be needed to save beleaguered mortgage lenders Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac.

U.S. railroad CSX said results of a Wednesday shareholder vote on a slate of five dissident directors will be announced in July as two activist funds claimed they won at least two seats and cried foul over how the company conducted the balloting.

A federal judge ruled on Wednesday that two investment firms waging a proxy battle at railroad CSX violated securities law in acquiring large stakes in the rail company, but allowed them to continue their fight at the annual shareholder meeting.

ISS recommends a vote against dissident slate and looks ahead to CSX' shareholder meeting.

Jon Hilsenrath, money and investing news editor at The Wall Street Journal, offered CNBC his list of five stocks to watch: the winners and losers making news this week.

Oil prices will continue to roil the stock market this week as the summer driving season officially kicks off and as more companies feel the pinch of higher energy prices on their profit margins.

Skyrocketing oil prices, the threat of recession and  continued  housing slump are all pointing to a rough summer for the markets. Still, there are opportunities for investors.

Suddenly, investors are waking up to the reality that high-priced oil is here to stay.

U.S. railroad CSX Corp reported a better-than-expected profit on Tuesday, citing strong pricing, fuel surcharges and growth in shipments of coal for export and ethanol, despite a slowdown in the automotive and housing sectors.