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UNP vs WAB
Which Stock Would AI Choose? Union Pacific (UNP) vs. Wabtec (WAB) Stock Comparison
1) Key Takeaways
- UNP is a major freight railroad operator, while WAB is a rail equipment and technology supplier, giving the two very different roles within the same industry.
- Both companies posted strong recent quarters, but Wabtec's sales and adjusted earnings-per-share (EPS) growth have been running faster than Union Pacific's.
- Union Pacific's key catalyst is its proposed Norfolk Southern merger and continued operating-ratio (operating expenses as a percentage of revenue) improvement; Wabtec's is a record multi-year backlog exceeding $30 billion.
- Union Pacific offers steadier, higher-margin cash flows, while Wabtec carries greater growth but more exposure to cyclical equipment orders.
- Analysts have raised price targets for both names in recent weeks, reflecting generally constructive sentiment across the rail sector.
2) Introduction
Union Pacific and Wabtec sit on opposite sides of the same rail economy, which makes them a natural pairing for investors evaluating transportation and industrial exposure. UNP operates one of North America's largest freight rail networks, while WAB manufactures and services the locomotives, components, and digital systems that keep railroads running. Comparing them highlights two distinct ways to invest in freight and transit demand: through an asset-heavy carrier with recurring volumes or through an industrial technology company with a growing backlog. The comparison is relevant to both long-term investors weighing sector positioning and traders assessing relative momentum, risk, and catalysts.
3) UNP Overview and Recent Performance
Union Pacific is one of the largest Class I railroads in the United States, operating roughly 32,000 miles of track across 23 primarily Western states. Its results are closely tied to freight volumes in segments such as intermodal, agriculture, industrial products, and petrochemicals. In recent quarters, UNP has emphasized productivity and efficiency, reporting an improved operating ratio and record freight-car velocity. Recent market activity has been shaped by its proposed merger with Norfolk Southern, which management has framed as creating a transcontinental network. During its latest quarter, operating revenue rose 12% year over year and adjusted EPS increased 13%, prompting the company to raise its full-year earnings growth outlook. Analyst sentiment has turned more constructive, with several firms lifting price targets, although insider selling has introduced a note of caution.
4) WAB Overview and Recent Performance
Wabtec, formally Westinghouse Air Brake Technologies Corporation, is a global provider of equipment, systems, digital solutions, and services for freight and transit rail, as well as mining, marine, and industrial markets. Its recent performance has been driven by strong locomotive deliveries, higher transit sales, and growth from recent acquisitions in inspection and sensor technologies. In its latest quarter, WAB grew sales about 17.5% year over year and raised adjusted EPS more than 20%, while expanding its multi-year backlog to roughly $30 billion. The company also increased its dividend 24% and completed a sizable share buyback, signaling confidence in cash generation. Recent wins, including a large international locomotive and services order, have reinforced the growth narrative even as a softer North American railcar build outlook remains a watch item.
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6) Head-to-Head Comparison
The two companies occupy different layers of the rail value chain. UNP is a capital-intensive carrier whose revenue depends on shipping volumes and pricing power, with an operating ratio and merger-related cost synergies as the primary levers. WAB is a diversified industrial manufacturer and service provider whose growth is tied to equipment orders, modernization cycles, and international infrastructure projects. On momentum, Wabtec has posted faster top- and bottom-line growth recently, supported by acquisitions and a surging backlog. Union Pacific, by contrast, offers more defensive, recurring cash flows and a mature dividend profile. Risk profiles also differ: UNP faces regulatory and volume sensitivity around its merger, while WAB is more exposed to equipment demand cycles and integration of recent deals. Sector exposure overlaps in freight rail but diverges in transit, mining, and digital services, where Wabtec has broader reach.
7) Tickeron AI Verdict
Based on observable trend consistency, stability, and near-term catalysts, Tickeron's AI would likely lean toward WAB in the current environment. Wabtec's combination of accelerating sales growth, expanding adjusted EPS, a record multi-year backlog, and recent guidance increases presents a more consistent, catalyst-rich trend profile. Union Pacific remains a structurally sound, high-quality operator with merger upside, but its growth is comparatively slower and more dependent on regulatory outcomes. Because momentum, backlog visibility, and earnings momentum tend to carry weight in systematic models, WAB currently screens as the stronger relative candidate. This assessment reflects a probabilistic reading of current data rather than a definitive prediction, and market positioning can shift quickly as new information emerges.
8) 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.
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 UNP is a StrongBuy and WAB is a Buy.
UNP in upward trend: price rose above 50-day moving average on October 20, 2026
UNP moved above its 50-day moving average on October 20, 2026 date and that indicates a change from a downward trend to an upward trend. In 33 of 50 similar past instances, the stock price increased further within the following month. The odds of a continued upward trend are 66%.
Technical Analysis (Indicators)
Bullish Trend Analysis
The Momentum Indicator moved above the 0 level on October 08, 2026. You may want to consider a long position or call options on UNP as a result. In 40 of 82 past instances where the momentum indicator moved above 0, the stock continued to climb. The odds of a continued upward trend are 49%.
The Moving Average Convergence Divergence (MACD) for UNP just turned positive on October 02, 2026. Looking at past instances where UNP's MACD turned positive, the stock continued to rise in 23 of 44 cases over the following month. The odds of a continued upward trend are 52%.
The 10-day moving average for UNP crossed bullishly above the 50-day moving average on October 23, 2026. This indicates that the trend has shifted higher and could be considered a buy signal. In 12 of 20 past instances when the 10-day crossed above the 50-day, the stock continued to move higher over the following month. The odds of a continued upward trend are 60%.
Following a +1.68% 3-day Advance, the price is estimated to grow further. Considering data from situations where UNP advanced for three days, in 181 of 327 cases, the price rose further within the following month. The odds of a continued upward trend are 55%.
The Aroon Indicator entered an Uptrend today. In 79 of 234 cases where UNP Aroon's Indicator entered an Uptrend, the price rose further within the following month. The odds of a continued Uptrend are 34%.
Bearish Trend Analysis
The 10-day RSI Indicator for UNP moved out of overbought territory on November 03, 2026. This could be a bearish sign for the stock. Traders may want to consider selling the stock or buying put options. Tickeron's A.I.dvisor looked at 36 similar instances where the indicator moved out of overbought territory. In 18 of the 36 cases, the stock moved lower in the following days. This puts the odds of a move lower at 50%.
The Stochastic Oscillator demonstrated that the ticker has stayed in the overbought zone for 20 days. The longer the ticker stays in the overbought zone, the sooner a price pull-back is expected.
Following a 3-day decline, the stock is projected to fall further. Considering past instances where UNP declined for three days, the price rose further in 50 of 62 cases within the following month. The odds of a continued downward trend are 46%.
UNP broke above its upper Bollinger Band on October 22, 2026. This could be a sign that the stock is set to drop as the stock moves back below the upper band and toward the middle band. You may want to consider selling the stock or exploring put options.
Fundamental Analysis (Ratings)
The Tickeron PE Growth Rating for this company is 15 (best 1 - 100 worst), pointing to outstanding earnings growth. The PE Growth rating is based on a comparative analysis of stock PE ratio increase over the last 12 months compared against S&P 500 index constituents.
The Tickeron Price Growth Rating for this company is 22 (best 1 - 100 worst), indicating outstanding price growth. UNP’s price grows at a higher rate over the last 12 months as compared to S&P 500 index constituents.
The Tickeron SMR rating for this company is 26 (best 1 - 100 worst), indicating very strong sales and a profitable business model. SMR (Sales, Margin, Return on Equity) rating is based on comparative analysis of weighted Sales, Income Margin and Return on Equity values compared against S&P 500 index constituents. The weighted SMR value is a proprietary formula developed by Tickeron and represents an overall profitability measure for a stock.
The Tickeron Profit vs. Risk Rating rating for this company is 31 (best 1 - 100 worst), indicating low risk on high returns. The average Profit vs. Risk Rating rating for the industry is 59, placing this stock better than average.
The Tickeron Seasonality Score of 50 (best 1 - 100 worst) indicates that the company is fair valued in the industry. The Tickeron Seasonality score describes the variance of predictable price changes around the same period every calendar year. These changes can be tied to a specific month, quarter, holiday or vacation period, as well as a meteorological or growing season.
The Tickeron Valuation Rating of 93 (best 1 - 100 worst) indicates that the company is significantly overvalued in the industry. This rating compares market capitalization estimated by our proprietary formula with the current market capitalization. This rating is based on the following metrics, as compared to industry averages: UNP's P/B Ratio (8.720) is slightly higher than the industry average of (3.936). P/E Ratio (24.530) is within average values for comparable stocks, (16.141). Projected Growth (PEG Ratio) (2.721) is also within normal values, averaging (7.261). Dividend Yield (0.019) settles around the average of (0.024) among similar stocks. UNP's P/S Ratio (6.562) is slightly higher than the industry average of (3.592).
WAB in upward trend: price may jump up because it broke its lower Bollinger Band on October 22, 2026
WAB may jump back above the lower band and head toward the middle band. Traders may consider buying the stock or exploring call options. In 20 of 25 cases where WAB's price broke its lower Bollinger Band, its price rose further in the following month. The odds of a continued upward trend are 80%.
Technical Analysis (Indicators)
Bullish Trend Analysis
The Stochastic Oscillator suggests the stock price trend may be in a reversal from a downward trend to an upward trend. 36 of 47 cases where WAB's Stochastic Oscillator exited the oversold zone resulted in an increase in price. Tickeron's analysis proposes that the odds of a continued upward trend are 77%.
The Momentum Indicator moved above the 0 level on November 02, 2026. You may want to consider a long position or call options on WAB as a result. In 58 of 90 past instances where the momentum indicator moved above 0, the stock continued to climb. The odds of a continued upward trend are 64%.
The Moving Average Convergence Divergence (MACD) for WAB just turned positive on November 02, 2026. Looking at past instances where WAB's MACD turned positive, the stock continued to rise in 40 of 56 cases over the following month. The odds of a continued upward trend are 71%.
WAB moved above its 50-day moving average on November 02, 2026 date and that indicates a change from a downward trend to an upward trend.
Following a +4.36% 3-day Advance, the price is estimated to grow further. Considering data from situations where WAB advanced for three days, in 221 of 348 cases, the price rose further within the following month. The odds of a continued upward trend are 64%.
Bearish Trend Analysis
Following a 3-day decline, the stock is projected to fall further. Considering past instances where WAB declined for three days, the price rose further in 50 of 62 cases within the following month. The odds of a continued downward trend are 44%.
The Aroon Indicator for WAB entered a downward trend on November 03, 2026. This could indicate a strong downward move is ahead for the stock. Traders may want to consider selling the stock or buying put options.
Fundamental Analysis (Ratings)
The Tickeron Profit vs. Risk Rating rating for this company is 3 (best 1 - 100 worst), indicating low risk on high returns. The average Profit vs. Risk Rating rating for the industry is 59, placing this stock better than average.
The Tickeron Seasonality Score of 10 (best 1 - 100 worst) indicates that the company is seriously undervalued in the industry. The Tickeron Seasonality score describes the variance of predictable price changes around the same period every calendar year. These changes can be tied to a specific month, quarter, holiday or vacation period, as well as a meteorological or growing season.
The Tickeron PE Growth Rating for this company is 17 (best 1 - 100 worst), pointing to outstanding earnings growth. The PE Growth rating is based on a comparative analysis of stock PE ratio increase over the last 12 months compared against S&P 500 index constituents.
The Tickeron Price Growth Rating for this company is 46 (best 1 - 100 worst), indicating steady price growth. WAB’s price grows at a higher rate over the last 12 months as compared to S&P 500 index constituents.
The Tickeron SMR rating for this company is 65 (best 1 - 100 worst), indicating slightly weaker than average sales and a marginally profitable business model. SMR (Sales, Margin, Return on Equity) rating is based on comparative analysis of weighted Sales, Income Margin and Return on Equity values compared against S&P 500 index constituents. The weighted SMR value is a proprietary formula developed by Tickeron and represents an overall profitability measure for a stock.
The Tickeron Valuation Rating of 90 (best 1 - 100 worst) indicates that the company is significantly overvalued in the industry. This rating compares market capitalization estimated by our proprietary formula with the current market capitalization. This rating is based on the following metrics, as compared to industry averages: P/B Ratio (4.395) is normal, around the industry mean (3.936). WAB has a moderately high P/E Ratio (39.165) as compared to the industry average of (16.141). Projected Growth (PEG Ratio) (4.700) is also within normal values, averaging (7.261). Dividend Yield (0.004) settles around the average of (0.024) among similar stocks. P/S Ratio (3.934) is also within normal values, averaging (3.592).
UNP | WAB | ||
|---|---|---|---|
OUTLOOK RATING 1..100 | 41 | 27 | |
VALUATION overvalued / fair valued / undervalued 1..100 | 93 Overvalued | 90 Overvalued | |
PROFIT vs RISK RATING 1..100 | 31 | 3 | |
SMR RATING 1..100 | 26 | 65 | |
PRICE GROWTH RATING 1..100 | 22 | 46 | |
P/E GROWTH RATING 1..100 | 15 | 17 | |
SEASONALITY SCORE 1..100 | 50 | 10 |
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.
WAB's Valuation (90) in the Trucks Or Construction Or Farm Machinery industry is in the same range as UNP (93) in the Railroads industry. This means that WAB’s stock grew similarly to UNP’s over the last 12 months.
WAB's Profit vs Risk Rating (3) in the Trucks Or Construction Or Farm Machinery industry is in the same range as UNP (31) in the Railroads industry. This means that WAB’s stock grew similarly to UNP’s over the last 12 months.
UNP's SMR Rating (26) in the Railroads industry is somewhat better than the same rating for WAB (65) in the Trucks Or Construction Or Farm Machinery industry. This means that UNP’s stock grew somewhat faster than WAB’s over the last 12 months.
UNP's Price Growth Rating (22) in the Railroads industry is in the same range as WAB (46) in the Trucks Or Construction Or Farm Machinery industry. This means that UNP’s stock grew similarly to WAB’s over the last 12 months.
UNP's P/E Growth Rating (15) in the Railroads industry is in the same range as WAB (17) in the Trucks Or Construction Or Farm Machinery industry. This means that UNP’s stock grew similarly to WAB’s over the last 12 months.
| UNP | WAB | |
|---|---|---|
| RSI ODDS (%) | 2 days ago 50% | N/A |
| Stochastic ODDS (%) | 2 days ago 53% | 2 days ago 77% |
| Momentum ODDS (%) | 2 days ago 49% | 2 days ago 64% |
| MACD ODDS (%) | 2 days ago 52% | 2 days ago 71% |
| TrendWeek ODDS (%) | 2 days ago 53% | 2 days ago 65% |
| TrendMonth ODDS (%) | 2 days ago 49% | 2 days ago 64% |
| Advances ODDS (%) | 3 days ago 55% | 2 days ago 64% |
| Declines ODDS (%) | 29 days ago 46% | 13 days ago 44% |
| BollingerBands ODDS (%) | 2 days ago 49% | 2 days ago 80% |
| Aroon ODDS (%) | 2 days ago 34% | 2 days ago 60% |
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 overvalued. We use an FA Score to show how many ratings show the ticker to be undervalued (green) or overvalued (red).
UNP’s FA Score shows that 4 FA rating(s) are green while WAB’s FA Score has 2 green FA rating(s).
- UNP’s FA Score: 4 green, 1 red.
- WAB’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.
UNP’s TA Score shows that 6 TA indicator(s) are bullish while WAB’s TA Score has 6 bullish TA indicator(s).
- UNP’s TA Score: 6 bullish, 4 bearish.
- WAB’s TA Score: 6 bullish, 2 bearish.
Price Growth
UNP (@Railroads) experienced а +1.18% price change this week, while WAB (@Railroads) price change was +4.60% for the same time period.
The average weekly price growth across all stocks in the @Railroads industry was +5.76%. For the same industry, the average monthly price growth was +3.13%, and the average quarterly price growth was +6.56%.
Reported Earning Dates
UNP is expected to report earnings on Jan 28, 2027.
WAB is expected to report earnings on Feb 17, 2027.
Industries' Descriptions
@Railroads (+5.76% 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.
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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 94% 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.
WAB and
Correlation & Price change
A.I.dvisor indicates that over the last year, WAB has been loosely correlated with CP. These tickers have moved in lockstep 43% of the time. This A.I.-generated data suggests there is some statistical probability that if WAB jumps, then CP could also see price increases.