Union Pacific Corporation (UNP)
Union Pacific is a massive American railway company that moves everything from coal and grain to cars and consumer goods across the western United States.
Is Union Pacific Corporation a good stock for a UK beginner?
The honest version: There's no rating here and nothing for sale. In its favour: Dominant position in the western US rail network. Worth weighing: High capital costs to maintain tracks and equipment. Below, we lay out what it does, what its numbers mean, and the honest risks, so you can decide for yourself.
Over about 2 years to 2026-07-31. This is the share price only - reinvesting the dividends would add to it. And it's the USD return - as a UK investor your actual £ return also moves with the exchange rate. Past performance is not a guide to the future, and it could just as easily have fallen.
How much has Union Pacific Corporation actually fallen?
Over the last 2 years of daily prices, Union Pacific Corporation fell as much as −19% from a high to a later low. Drops of this size are a normal part of owning a share - worth knowing in advance, so a dip doesn't come as a shock.
Worst peak-to-trough fall in the daily closing price over the period we hold. Past falls are not a forecast - it can fall further, or recover.
Based on beta - how much the price swings versus the whole market. Bumpier isn't bad; it just means a rougher ride, which matters more the sooner you might need the money.
Prices move on results, news and the mood of the whole market - no single headline explains a day, and a quiet week is usually just noise, not a signal.
Successful automation and long-term supply chain shifts.
Structural decline in traditional freight sectors like coal.
What does Union Pacific Corporation do?
Think of Union Pacific as the backbone of American trade, operating a vast network of tracks that connect ports and industrial hubs. Hauling heavy freight for businesses across thousands of miles is the money-maker, making them a vital link in the global supply chain. Two things really move the needle: how efficiently they manage fuel costs and how much demand there is for the raw materials they haul.
On our factor screen it looks strongest on momentum and quality, and weakest on value.
- ✓Pays a dividend - about 1.9% a year
- ✓Growing - revenue up about 12% over the year
- ✓Very profitable - turns about 29% of sales into profit
- !Carries a lot of debt - roughly 1.5x its equity
- ✓Strong return on shareholder money (ROE 40%)
- Momentum screens high (77/100)
- Dominant position in the western US rail network
- High profit margins for an industrial business
- Essential service that is difficult for competitors to replicate
- Regulatory changes affecting rail safety or pricing
- Labour disputes or union negotiations
- Environmental regulations impacting the transport of fossil fuels
What do Union Pacific Corporation's numbers mean?
How much money does Union Pacific Corporation make?
Revenue and profit by quarter, and how much of each sale turns into profit.
Does Union Pacific Corporation pay a dividend?
Yes - Union Pacific Corporation currently pays a dividend of about 1.9% a year (the yearly payout as a share of the price). A dividend is a slice of profit handed to shareholders; the yield moves as the price moves, and a company can cut or stop it.
What do the numbers say about Union Pacific Corporation's dividend?
There's no rating here, and we don't judge whether the dividend will continue - that would be advice. Here are the figures income investors usually look at, and what each one means, so you can weigh it up yourself.
Figures are from the latest available data and can be distorted by one-off results. Past payments don't predict future ones, and a dividend can be cut at any time. This lays out the numbers to help you understand them - it is not a view on what will happen.
When does Union Pacific Corporation report earnings, and how did recent quarters go?
Union Pacific Corporation is next scheduled to report on about 2026-10-22 - dates can move, and we don't predict results; this just tells you when to look.
Each quarter a company reports its results against what analysts expected. ‘Beating’ or ‘missing’ is about that expectation, not whether the business is doing well in absolute terms.
| Reported | Expected EPS: The earnings per share analysts expected for the quarter - the average of their forecasts. 'Beating' or 'missing' is measured against this number. | Actual EPS | vs expected |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026-07-23 | $3.24 | $3.41 | Beat +5% |
| 2026-04-23 | $2.86 | $2.93 | Beat +2% |
| 2026-01-27 | $2.87 | $2.86 | In line |
| 2025-10-23 | $3.00 | $3.08 | Beat +3% |
| 2025-07-24 | $2.91 | $3.03 | Beat +4% |
| 2025-04-24 | $2.73 | $2.70 | Missed -1% |
Across the last 6 quarters here, Union Pacific Corporation came in ahead of what analysts expected 4 times. One quarter is noise, not a trend.
See who else reports over the next two weeks →
Reported vs expected earnings per share (EPS) from published results; the expectation is the analyst consensus, not our view. Report dates are estimates that can move.
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An illustrative range for the year ahead, with the assumption behind each case — not a prediction or a price target.
What are the pros and cons of Union Pacific Corporation?
How many points the write-up makes each way — a balance check, not a score or verdict.
- Dominant position in the western US rail network
- High profit margins for an industrial business
- Essential service that is difficult for competitors to replicate
- High capital costs to maintain tracks and equipment
- Sensitive to economic downturns that reduce shipping demand
- Limited growth potential compared to tech-focused sectors
- Regulatory changes affecting rail safety or pricing
- Labour disputes or union negotiations
- Environmental regulations impacting the transport of fossil fuels
The write-up's own warning lights — if these start happening, the case above changes.
- A permanent, sharp decline in US manufacturing output
- Major regulatory intervention that forces a change in pricing power
Built from public filings & market prices, checked for an education-only tone, and never a price target. How we make these →
This plain-English summary was auto-generated on 2026-08-02 from public data and checked for an education-only, no-advice tone (the figures above carry their own, usually fresher, 'as of' date). It's information, never a recommendation.