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CP vs UNP
Which Stock Would AI Choose? Canadian Pacific Kansas City (CP) vs. Union Pacific (UNP) Stock Comparison
Key Takeaways
- Both CP and UNP have surged approximately 12% over the past month, reflecting strong momentum in the railroad sector.
- UNP reported record Q1 2026 earnings with $1.7 billion net income and $6.22 billion revenue, driving a post-earnings rally.
- CP exhibits steady performance with year-to-date gains of 18%, slightly ahead of UNP's 16%.
- Analyses highlight CP as offering better value and growth potential compared to UNP.
- Both stocks show resilience amid economic uncertainties, with similar short-term volatility profiles.
- Upcoming CP Q1 earnings on April 29 could serve as a key catalyst.
Introduction
CP and UNP, two leading Class I railroads, dominate North American freight transportation. This comparison analyzes their recent market positioning, performance trends, and operational drivers, aiding investors and traders evaluating sector exposure. Railroads benefit from stable demand for bulk commodities like grain, energy, and intermodal freight, but face shared challenges such as fuel costs and regulatory scrutiny. Traders seeking relative outperformance or long-term holders assessing valuation will find insights into momentum, earnings trajectories, and strategic contrasts in today's dynamic market environment.
CP Overview and Recent Performance
Canadian Pacific Kansas City (CP) operates a transcontinental rail network spanning Canada, the U.S., and Mexico following its 2023 merger with Kansas City Southern. The company focuses on precision scheduled railroading (PSR), emphasizing efficiency and volume growth in freight segments like grain, intermodal, and energy. In recent market activity, CP shares have climbed about 12% over the past month and 18% year-to-date, supported by steady operational improvements. Q4 2025 results showed revenue growth to C$3.9 billion, though profits dipped amid integration costs; Q1 2026 earnings are slated for April 29. Sentiment remains positive due to network synergies and resilient freight volumes, with shares trading at a valuation considered attractive relative to peers.
UNP Overview and Recent Performance
Union Pacific Corporation (UNP) runs one of North America's largest rail networks, primarily in the Western and Central U.S., transporting chemicals, industrial products, coal, and agricultural goods. Employing PSR principles, UNP prioritizes operating ratio improvements and service reliability. Recent weeks have seen shares rise around 12% monthly and 16% year-to-date, fueled by robust Q1 2026 earnings announced April 23: record $1.7 billion net income ($2.87 EPS, earnings per share) and $6.22 billion revenue despite slight volume softness. The results, exceeding expectations, lifted shares over 7%, reflecting strong cost controls and productivity gains amid macroeconomic pressures.
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Head-to-Head Comparison
Both CP and UNP thrive on freight railroading, but CP’s international footprint offers Mexico exposure for nearshoring growth, while UNP dominates U.S. intermodal and bulk in high-density corridors. Recent momentum is comparable at ~12% monthly gains, though UNP’s earnings catalyst provides fresher tailwinds versus CP’s steady climb. Risk factors include fuel volatility and labor agreements for both, with CP facing merger integration hurdles. CP trades at lower price-to-operating income multiples, suggesting value appeal, while UNP boasts superior 1-year returns (~26% vs. 21%). Market sentiment favors stability in rail amid industrial recovery, balancing growth drivers like volume recovery against trade-offs in geographic focus.
Tickeron AI Verdict
Tickeron’s AI models currently lean toward CP with a slight edge, driven by attractive valuation, transcontinental growth catalysts, and comparable momentum to UNP at lower relative multiples. CP’s upcoming earnings and network synergies position it probabilistically stronger for sustained outperformance in the rail sector, though UNP’s recent record results maintain close competition.
Disclaimer
The information on this webpage is provided for general informational and educational purposes only and is not intended as investment advice, a recommendation to purchase or sell any security, or an offer or solicitation related to investments. It does not consider your personal financial situation, goals, or risk profile, and all investing carries inherent risks, including the possibility of losing your entire investment. For more details, please review our full disclaimer. Disclaimers and Limitations
To compare these two companies we present long-term analysis, their fundamental ratings and make comparative short-term technical analysis which are presented below. The conclusion is CP is a Hold and UNP is a Buy.
Long-Term Analysis
It is best to consider a long-term outlook for a ticker by using Fundamental Analysis (FA) ratings. The rating of 1 to 100, where 1 is best and 100 is worst, is divided into thirds. The first third (a green rating of 1-33) indicates that the ticker is undervalued; the second third (a grey number between 34 and 66) means that the ticker is valued fairly; and the last third (red number of 67 to 100) reflects that the ticker is undervalued. We use an FA Score to show how many ratings show the ticker to be undervalued (green) or overvalued (red).
CP’s FA Score shows that 0 FA rating(s) are green whileUNP’s FA Score has 2 green FA rating(s).
- CP’s FA Score: 0 green, 5 red.
- UNP’s FA Score: 2 green, 3 red.
Short-Term Analysis
It is best to consider a short-term outlook for a ticker by using Technical Analysis (TA) indicators. We use Odds of Success as the percentage of outcomes which confirm successful trade signals in the past.
If the Odds of Success (the likelihood of the continuation of a trend) for each indicator are greater than 50%, then the generated signal is confirmed. A green percentage from 90% to 51% indicates that the ticker is in a bullish trend. A red percentage from 90% - 51% indicates that the ticker is in a bearish trend. All grey percentages are below 50% and are considered not to confirm the trend signal.
CP’s TA Score shows that 3 TA indicator(s) are bullish while UNP’s TA Score has 5 bullish TA indicator(s).
- CP’s TA Score: 3 bullish, 5 bearish.
- UNP’s TA Score: 5 bullish, 3 bearish.
Price Growth
CP (@Railroads) experienced а +0.17% price change this week, while UNP (@Railroads) price change was +0.14% for the same time period.
The average weekly price growth across all stocks in the @Railroads industry was +0.77%. For the same industry, the average monthly price growth was -2.60%, and the average quarterly price growth was +7.36%.
Reported Earning Dates
CP is expected to report earnings on Aug 05, 2026.
UNP is expected to report earnings on Jul 23, 2026.
Industries' Descriptions
@Railroads (+0.77% weekly)The Railroad industry includes passenger and freight transportation services along rail lines. This also includes companies that provide maintenance and switching duties as part of rail services. Within North America, the industry is largely dominated by some large operators. Several short-line railroads serve regional and local routes. Union Pacific Corporation, Canadian National Railway Company, and CSX Corporation are some of the prominent names in the business. The railroad business is relatively cyclical; economic expansion boost the freight services in particular, while economic stagnation often dampens transportation demand.
| CP | UNP | CP / UNP | |
| Capitalization | 80B | 162B | 49% |
| EBITDA | 8.32B | 13.1B | 63% |
| Gain YTD | 22.341 | 19.120 | 117% |
| P/E Ratio | 28.05 | 22.44 | 125% |
| Revenue | 15B | 24.7B | 61% |
| Total Cash | 409M | 1.04B | 40% |
| Total Debt | 24.3B | 31.5B | 77% |
CP | UNP | ||
|---|---|---|---|
OUTLOOK RATING 1..100 | 13 | 25 | |
VALUATION overvalued / fair valued / undervalued 1..100 | 90 Overvalued | 84 Overvalued | |
PROFIT vs RISK RATING 1..100 | 70 | 51 | |
SMR RATING 1..100 | 77 | 23 | |
PRICE GROWTH RATING 1..100 | 47 | 25 | |
P/E GROWTH RATING 1..100 | 49 | 43 | |
SEASONALITY SCORE 1..100 | 39 | 50 |
Tickeron ratings are formulated such that a rating of 1 designates the most successful stocks in a given industry, while a rating of 100 points to the least successful stocks for that industry.
UNP's Valuation (84) in the Railroads industry is in the same range as CP (90). This means that UNP’s stock grew similarly to CP’s over the last 12 months.
UNP's Profit vs Risk Rating (51) in the Railroads industry is in the same range as CP (70). This means that UNP’s stock grew similarly to CP’s over the last 12 months.
UNP's SMR Rating (23) in the Railroads industry is somewhat better than the same rating for CP (77). This means that UNP’s stock grew somewhat faster than CP’s over the last 12 months.
UNP's Price Growth Rating (25) in the Railroads industry is in the same range as CP (47). This means that UNP’s stock grew similarly to CP’s over the last 12 months.
UNP's P/E Growth Rating (43) in the Railroads industry is in the same range as CP (49). This means that UNP’s stock grew similarly to CP’s over the last 12 months.
| CP | UNP | |
|---|---|---|
| RSI ODDS (%) | 3 days ago 84% | 3 days ago 42% |
| Stochastic ODDS (%) | 3 days ago 63% | 3 days ago 57% |
| Momentum ODDS (%) | 3 days ago 51% | 3 days ago 59% |
| MACD ODDS (%) | 3 days ago 57% | 3 days ago 63% |
| TrendWeek ODDS (%) | 3 days ago 54% | 3 days ago 51% |
| TrendMonth ODDS (%) | 3 days ago 48% | 3 days ago 46% |
| Advances ODDS (%) | 7 days ago 55% | 3 days ago 55% |
| Declines ODDS (%) | 4 days ago 58% | 17 days ago 47% |
| BollingerBands ODDS (%) | 3 days ago 62% | 3 days ago 47% |
| Aroon ODDS (%) | 3 days ago 35% | 3 days ago 42% |
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UNP and
Correlation & Price change
A.I.dvisor indicates that over the last year, UNP has been closely correlated with NSC. These tickers have moved in lockstep 86% of the time. This A.I.-generated data suggests there is a high statistical probability that if UNP jumps, then NSC could also see price increases.