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Union Pacific Corp. (UNP)
NYSE:UNP
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Union Pacific (UNP) AI Stock Analysis

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UNP

Union Pacific

(NYSE:UNP)

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Neutral 69 (OpenAI - Gpt-5.6Sol)
Rating:69Neutral
Price Target:
$301.00
â–¼(-2.77% Downside)
Action:Downgraded
Date:07/24/26
UNP’s score is led by strong earnings-call momentum (record quarter and raised guidance) and supportive technical strength (price above key moving averages, positive MACD). Offsetting these positives, the financial statement analysis flags near-term TTM weakness (notably the sharp revenue and free-cash-flow declines) and the balance sheet’s historically higher leverage. Valuation is reasonable but not cheap given the mid-20s P/E and modest dividend yield.
Positive Factors
Network Scale and Connectivity
Union Pacific’s extensive western U.S. network and connections to gateways, ports, and interchange points support broad market access and efficient freight routing. This physical footprint is difficult to replicate and underpins diversified customer relationships, recurring utilization, and durable competitive positioning.
Negative Factors
Recent Revenue Contraction
The sharp TTM revenue decline signals that recent demand and operating conditions have weakened despite the company’s historically stable revenue base. If weakness persists, lower network utilization could reduce operating leverage and make it harder to maintain margins and fund investment at prior levels.
Read all positive and negative factors
Positive Factors
Negative Factors
Network Scale and Connectivity
Union Pacific’s extensive western U.S. network and connections to gateways, ports, and interchange points support broad market access and efficient freight routing. This physical footprint is difficult to replicate and underpins diversified customer relationships, recurring utilization, and durable competitive positioning.
Read all positive factors

Union Pacific Key Performance Indicators (KPIs)

Any
Any
Locomotive Productivity
Locomotive Productivity
Measures the efficiency of locomotive usage, indicating how well the company utilizes its fleet to transport goods. Higher productivity suggests better asset utilization and cost management, impacting profitability.
Chart InsightsLocomotive productivity has recovered from a 2021–2022 trough to multi‑year highs, reflecting a durable operational improvement: fewer active locomotives moving more gross ton miles, longer trains and faster car velocity. That efficiency underpins the recent operating‑ratio and cash‑flow gains management cited, giving Union Pacific structural cost leverage. Near‑term margin upside is limited by volatile fuel and merger-related costs, but productivity gains materially de‑risk earnings vs. a simple volume rebound and support the company’s longer‑term EPS and synergy targets.
Data provided by:The Fly

Union Pacific (UNP) vs. SPDR S&P 500 ETF (SPY)

Union Pacific Business Overview & Revenue Model

Company Description
Union Pacific Corporation, a prominent American railway enterprise, conducts its primary operations through its subsidiary, Union Pacific Railroad Company. The company provides extensive freight transportation services for a wide array of commodit...
How the Company Makes Money
Union Pacific makes money primarily by charging customers to transport freight by rail, with revenue generally tied to shipment volume, distance moved, commodity type, service level, and prevailing contract or tariff pricing. Its core revenue stre...

Union Pacific Earnings Call Summary

Earnings Call Date:Jul 23, 2026
(Q2-2026)
|
% Change Since: |
Next Earnings Date:Oct 22, 2026
Earnings Call Sentiment Positive
The call conveyed strong operational execution and record financial performance: robust revenue growth (+12%), healthy cash generation (+21% cash from operations), multiple operational records and an upgraded EPS outlook. Key challenges are largely exogenous (fuel price volatility) or industry-specific (coal weakness, international intermodal softness) and are being managed with productivity gains, pricing and capacity investments. The merger with Norfolk Southern advanced (application accepted) and the settlement with Canadian National further strengthens the strategic case — management framed these as growth-enabling commitments. Overall, positive momentum and raised guidance outweigh the cost and market headwinds discussed.
Positive Updates
Record Financial Results and Raised Outlook
Reported record Q2 results: net income of $2.0 billion and adjusted EPS of $3.41. Operating revenue was $6.9 billion, up 12% year-over-year. Management raised 2026 full-year reported EPS growth to the high single-digit range.
Negative Updates
Higher Operating Expenses Driven by Fuel
Total operating expenses increased 13% to $4.1 billion, primarily due to fuel. Fuel expense grew 63% year-over-year as average fuel price rose ~60% (from $2.42 to $3.86 per gallon), which added ~120 basis points to the operating ratio and contributed to volatility in margins.
Read all updates
Q2-2026 Updates
Negative
Record Financial Results and Raised Outlook
Reported record Q2 results: net income of $2.0 billion and adjusted EPS of $3.41. Operating revenue was $6.9 billion, up 12% year-over-year. Management raised 2026 full-year reported EPS growth to the high single-digit range.
Read all positive updates
Company Guidance
Union Pacific raised 2026 guidance to reported EPS growth in the high single‑digit range after a record Q2 that featured operating revenue of $6.9B (+12% YoY) and freight revenue of $6.5B (+12%, or +4% ex‑fuel to $5.5B), net income of $2.0B and reported EPS of $3.36 (adjusted EPS $3.41); volume was up 2% and YTD reported EPS is +6% (in line with January outlook). Q2 operating ratio was 59.2% (fuel added ~120 bps; management noted an adjusted‑noise OR near 58%), total operating expense $4.1B (+13%), fuel expense +63% on a 60% higher average fuel price ($3.86/gal vs. $2.42 a year ago; recent purchases >$4/gal) and fuel surcharge added ~750 bps (~$460M). Productivity and service metrics underpinning the outlook include eight consecutive quarters of record workforce productivity (workforce productivity +5%), car velocity +5% to 231 miles/day, train speed +3%, terminal dwell improved 7% to 19.7 hours, intermodal and manifest service indices at 95%, locomotive productivity 142 (+1%) and train length +2%. Balance sheet and cash metrics supporting the guide: cash from operations $5.5B (+21% YoY), free cash flow $1.8B, $1.5B of long‑term debt paid down and adjusted debt/EBITDA of 2.5x; comp per employee is expected to rise ~6% for the year (Q2 comp per employee +7% ex‑one‑timers).

Union Pacific Financial Statement Overview

Summary
High-quality profitability (strong operating/net margins and very strong ROE) supports the score, but it is held back by the provided TTM concerns: a sharp revenue decline and steep free-cash-flow pressure. Historically elevated leverage also adds risk in a weaker demand environment.
Income Statement
72
Positive
Balance Sheet
62
Positive
Cash Flow
58
Neutral
BreakdownTTMDec 2025Dec 2024Dec 2023Dec 2022Dec 2021
Income Statement
Total Revenue25.41B24.51B24.25B24.12B24.88B21.80B
Gross Profit11.57B14.55B11.04B10.53B11.21B10.51B
EBITDA13.31B12.94B12.46B11.89B12.59B11.84B
Net Income7.33B7.14B6.75B6.38B7.00B6.52B
Balance Sheet
Total Assets71.21B69.70B67.72B67.13B65.45B63.52B
Cash, Cash Equivalents and Short-Term Investments2.11B1.52B1.04B1.07B1.02B1.01B
Total Debt31.17B31.81B32.46B34.18B34.96B31.49B
Total Liabilities50.54B51.23B50.83B52.34B53.29B49.36B
Stockholders Equity20.67B18.47B16.89B14.79B12.16B14.16B
Cash Flow
Free Cash Flow6.50B5.50B5.89B4.77B5.74B6.10B
Operating Cash Flow10.26B9.29B9.35B8.38B9.36B9.03B
Investing Cash Flow-3.99B-3.76B-3.33B-3.67B-3.47B-2.71B
Financing Cash Flow-5.74B-5.28B-6.07B-4.63B-5.89B-7.16B

Union Pacific Technical Analysis

Technical Analysis Sentiment
Neutral
Last Price309.59
Price Trends
50DMA
288.22
Negative
100DMA
281.68
Negative
200DMA
263.57
Positive
Market Momentum
MACD
-3.52
Negative
RSI
46.37
Neutral
STOCH
77.47
Neutral
Evaluating momentum and price trends is crucial in stock analysis to make informed investment decisions. For UNP, the sentiment is Neutral. The current price of 309.59 is above the 20-day moving average (MA) of 277.06, above the 50-day MA of 288.22, and above the 200-day MA of 263.57, indicating a neutral trend. The MACD of -3.52 indicates Negative momentum. The RSI at 46.37 is Neutral, neither overbought nor oversold. The STOCH value of 77.47 is Neutral, not indicating any strong overbought or oversold conditions. Overall, these indicators collectively point to a Neutral sentiment for UNP.

Union Pacific Risk Analysis

Union Pacific disclosed 31 risk factors in its most recent earnings report. Union Pacific reported the most risks in the "Finance & Corporate" category.
Finance & Corporate - Financial and accounting risks. Risks related to the execution of corporate activity and strategy
Latest Risks Added 0 New Risks

Union Pacific Peers Comparison

Overall Rating
UnderperformOutperform
Sector (63)
Financial Indicators
Name
Overall Rating
Market Cap
P/E Ratio
ROE
Dividend Yield
Revenue Growth
EPS Growth
77
Outperform
$37.67B35.0624.87%0.63%-0.64%1.47%
76
Outperform
$87.70B27.3924.06%1.16%2.52%6.32%
70
Outperform
$71.20B27.1216.80%1.70%2.97%-20.83%
69
Neutral
$165.27B22.5538.65%2.00%4.17%7.24%
64
Neutral
$21.45B32.7318.75%0.78%5.28%28.24%
63
Neutral
$10.79B15.437.44%2.01%2.89%-14.66%
62
Neutral
$25.26B26.7436.01%1.78%-0.09%19.50%
* Industrials Sector Average
Performance Comparison
Ticker
Company Name
Price
Change
% Change
UNP
Union Pacific
278.20
57.40
26.00%
CHRW
CH Robinson
141.34
17.91
14.51%
CSX
CSX
47.34
12.30
35.11%
JBHT
JB Hunt
228.42
92.44
67.98%
NSC
Norfolk Southern
316.99
33.62
11.86%
ODFL
Old Dominion Freight
181.65
48.17
36.09%
Glossary
BuyA stock rated as a "Buy" is expected to perform better than the overall market or a specific benchmark over the near-to-medium term. This rating suggests the stock is likely to deliver higher returns compared to other stocks in the same sector or market index. Note: This is not investment advice; please consult a financial advisor before making investment decisions.
HoldA stock rated as a "Hold" is expected to perform in line with the overall market or a specific benchmark. This rating indicates that the stock is neither particularly compelling nor unfavorable for investment. Note: This is not investment advice; please consult a financial advisor before making investment decisions.
SellA stock rated as a "Sell" is expected to perform worse than the overall market or a specific benchmark over the near-to-medium term. This rating suggests the stock may deliver lower returns compared to other stocks in the same sector or market index. Note: This is not investment advice; please consult a financial advisor before making investment decisions.

Disclaimer

This AI Analyst Stock Report is automatically generated by our AI systems using advanced algorithms and publicly available financial, technical, and market data. While the information provided aims to be accurate and insightful, it is intended for informational purposes only and should not be considered financial advice. Any content created by an AI (Artificial Intelligence) system may contain inaccuracies and/or contain errors. Investing in stocks carries inherent risks, and past performance is not indicative of future results. This report does not account for your personal financial circumstances, objectives, or risk tolerance. Always conduct your own research or consult with a qualified financial advisor before making investment decisions. The analysis and recommendations provided are based on historical and current data and may not fully reflect future market conditions or unexpected developments. Neither the creators of this report nor its affiliated entities guarantee the accuracy, completeness, or reliability of the information presented. Use this report at your own discretion and risk.Date of analysis: Jul 24, 2026