Union Pacific Corp (NYSE: UNP)

Sector: Industrials Industry: Railroads CIK: 0000100885
Market Cap 156.32 Bn
P/B 8.46
P/E 21.90
P/S 6.38
ROIC (Qtr) 14.98
Div Yield % 2.07
Rev 1y % (Qtr) -0.59
Total Debt (Qtr) 32.55 Bn
Debt/Equity (Qtr) 1.76
Add ratio to table...

About

Union Pacific Corporation, better known as Union Pacific Railroad, is a prominent player in the American railroad industry, operating in the western two-thirds of the United States. With a rich history that spans over 160 years, the company has grown to become one of the most recognized railroads in the country. Union Pacific's primary business activities revolve around transporting goods and commodities across the nation, connecting major ports, and providing vital infrastructure for the country's supply chain. Union Pacific's revenue is generated...

Read more

Investment thesis

Bull case

  • Strong operating cash flow of 9.29B provides 1.90x coverage of SG&A expenses 4.90B, showing efficient operational cost management.
  • Retained earnings of 69.53B provide full 2.24x coverage of long-term debt 31.03B, indicating strong internal capital position.
  • Operating cash flow of 9.29B provides solid 1.85x coverage of current liabilities 5.01B, showing strong operational health.
  • Operating cash flow of 9.29B provides strong 11.80x coverage of inventory 787M, indicating efficient inventory management.
  • Free cash flow of 5.50B provides healthy 1.10x coverage of current liabilities 5.01B, showing strong operational health.

Bear case

  • Operating cash flow of 9.29B barely covers its investment activities of (3.76B), with a coverage ratio of -2.47, indicating heavy reliance on external financing for growth which may not be sustainable in a tighter credit environment.
  • Operating cash flow of 9.29B provides thin coverage of dividend payments of (3.24B) with a -2.87 ratio, suggesting potential dividend sustainability issues if operational performance deteriorates.
  • High receivables of 1.86B relative to inventory of 787M (2.36 ratio) suggests aggressive credit terms or collection difficulties, potentially masking revenue quality issues.
  • High financing cash flow of (5.28B) relative to working capital of (459M), which is 11.49x suggests concerning dependence on external funding for operational needs.
  • Retained earnings of 69.53B provide limited buffer against comprehensive income items of (591M), which is -117.65x, indicating elevated exposure to market risks.

Peer comparison

Companies in the Railroads
S.No. Ticker Company Market Cap P/E P/S Total Debt (Qtr)
1 UNP Union Pacific Corp 156.32 Bn 21.90 6.38 32.55 Bn
2 NSC Norfolk Southern Corp 98.17 Bn 49.09 8.45 17.09 Bn
3 CP Canadian Pacific Kansas City Ltd/Cn 77.60 Bn 25.11 7.13 17.31 Bn
4 CSX Csx Corp 76.97 Bn 26.64 5.46 18.87 Bn
5 CNI Canadian National Railway Co 67.54 Bn 19.60 5.35 15.71 Bn
6 WAB Westinghouse Air Brake Technologies Corp 44.42 Bn 37.97 3.98 5.54 Bn
7 TRN Trinity Industries Inc 2.81 Bn 29.44 1.29 5.94 Bn
8 GBX Greenbrier Companies Inc 0.96 Bn -16.79 0.84 1.77 Bn

Industry comparisons

Current Valuation Value Ind Avg Percentile
EV to Assets EV to Assets 2.70 1.36
EV to Cash from Ops. EV/CFO 20.25 16.53
EV to Debt EV to Debt 5.78 2.59
EV to EBIT EV/EBIT 17.96 7.63
EV to EBITDA EV/EBITDA 15.28 18.51
EV to Free Cash Flow [EV/FCF] EV/FCF 34.20 28.00
EV to Market Cap EV to Market Cap 1.20 1.04
EV to Revenue EV/Rev 7.67 2.75
Price to Book Value [P/B] P/B 8.46 3.50
Price to Earnings [P/E] P/E 21.90 21.48
Dividend Metrics Value Ind Avg Percentile
Dividend Coverage Ratio Div Coverage (Qtr) 2.21 2.51
Dividend Payout Ratio % Div Payout % (Qtr) 45.30 22.50
Dividend per Basic Share Div per Share (Qtr) 5.44 1.27
FCF Dividend Payout Ratio % FCF Div Payout % (Qtr) 58.86 15.26
Interest Coverage Int. cover (Qtr) 8.00 0.60
Growth Metrics Value Ind Avg Percentile
Capex Growth (1y) % Capex 1y % (Qtr) -9.82 -6.16
Cash and Equivalents Growth (1y) % Cash & Equiv 1y % (Qtr) 24.61 35.27
Dividend Growth (1y) % Div 1y % (Qtr) 3.03 3.76
EBIAT Growth (1y) % EBIAT 1y % (Qtr) 5.66 17.20
EBITDA Growth (1y) % EBITDA 1y % (Qtr) 1.65 -15.55
EBIT Growth (1y) % EBIT 1y % (Qtr) 4.09 18.03
EBT Growth (1y) % EBT 1y % (Qtr) 4.23 15.09
EPS Growth (1y) % EPS 1y % (Qtr) 8.11 15.15
FCF Growth (1y) % FCF 1y % (Qtr) -6.70 426.49
Gross Profit Growth (1y) % Gross Profit 1y % (Qtr) 1.34 -4.94
Liquidity Ratios Value Ind Avg Percentile
Asset Utilization Ratio Asset Util Ratio (Qtr) 0.35 0.57
Cash Payout Ratio Cash Payout (Qtr) 0.25 0.16
Cash Ratio Cash Ratio (Qtr) 0.25 0.90
Current Ratio Curr Ratio (Qtr) 0.91 1.61
Debt to Equity Ratio Debt/Equity (Qtr) 1.76 1.04
Interest Cover Ratio Int Coverage (Qtr) 8.00 0.60
Times Interest Earned Times Interest Earned (Qtr) 8.00 0.60
Profitability Value Ind Avg Percentile
EBITDA Margin % EBITDA Margin % (Qtr) 52.80 -101.68
EBIT Margin % EBIT Margin % (Qtr) 42.74 -107.52
EBT Margin % EBT Margin % (Qtr) 37.40 -114.27
Gross Margin % Gross Margin % (Qtr) 75.80 37.55
Net Profit Margin % Net Margin % (Qtr) 29.10 -117.34