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UNP · Union Pacific Corp

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$293.76 -4.03 (-1.35%) At close · Aug 14
Market Cap
$174.50B
Shares
594.08M
All earnings calls

Earnings call · FY2026 Q1

Union Pacific Corp Q1 FY2026 Earnings Call

Union Pacific Corp Q1 FY2026 Earnings Call

Concluded Apr 23, 2026 Audio replay
Apr 23, 2026 1:13:49 79 turns
Period
FY2026 Q1
Runtime
1:13:49
Sources
4 artifacts

Executive readout · one minute

What matters this quarter

Union Pacific reported record first quarter 2026 results with net income of $1.7 billion (up 5%), adjusted EPS of $2.93 (up 9%), and an 80 basis point adjusted operating ratio improvement to 59.9%, while affirming its full-year outlook for mid-single-digit reported EPS growth and operating ratio improvement.

Merger and unions 40 Quarterly financial records 19 Grain and exports 15 Intermodal and automotive 15 Coal volume 9 Pricing and business mix 9

Management tone

Confident

Net tone +72 · low hedging

Grounding quotes
  • “we delivered record first quarter results again we showed who we are executing on new opportunities and raising the bar on what's possible for ourselves and the industry”
  • “we are affirming our 2026 outlook. This includes our expectations for reported earnings per share of mid-single-digit growth and operating ratio improvement”
  • “These are strong results that reflect what's possible when the team consistently executes at a high level”
  • “we remain committed to attaining our three-year CAGR target of high single-digit to low double-digit EPS growth throughout 2027”

Forward guidance

2 guided metrics

Management's latest ranges and targets are included below.

Research coverage

4 live sources

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Revenue $6.22B +3.2% YoY
Diluted EPS $2.87 +6.3% YoY
Net income $1.70B +4.6% YoY

Research materials

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Key takeaways

What improved, and what deserves a closer read.

Constructive signals

  • Freight revenue grew 4% to $5.9 billion on core pricing gains, favorable business mix, and higher fuel surcharge revenue, with pricing dollars exceeding inflation dollars.
  • Adjusted EPS of $2.93 rose 9% and adjusted operating ratio improved 80 basis points to 59.9%, both records for the first quarter.
  • Operating revenue hit a record $6.2 billion (up 3%), with record first quarter operating income and net income.
  • Workforce productivity reached a record 1,163 car miles per employee (up 7%) with a 5% smaller workforce, and freight car velocity rose 9% to 235 daily miles per car.
  • Cash from operations increased 10% to $2.4 billion, net debt declined $1.2 billion, and the company remains A-rated with a 2.5x adjusted debt-to-EBITDA ratio.
  • Coal revenue grew 10% on 12% volume growth including new LCRA business, and grain delivered record first quarter volume driven by export demand including a rebound in shipments to China.

Risks & pressure points

  • Total volume declined 1% year-over-year, reducing freight revenue by 75 basis points.
  • Compensation and benefits expense increased 1% with cost per employee up 6.5%, and full-year compensation per employee is still expected to rise 4–5%.
  • Fuel expense grew 7% on average fuel price rising from $2.51 to $2.69 per gallon, with full-year diesel fuel now expected to likely average over $4 per gallon.
  • Softening vehicle sales pressured automotive volumes (down 9% volume, though revenue was up 5%), and a soft housing environment was noted as a headwind.
  • Results included $36 million in merger costs ($0.06 per share), and reported operating ratio of 60.5% reflects only a 20 basis point improvement.

Key moments

Jump directly to management's words in the synchronized transcript.

Forward guidance

From the 8-K filed Apr 23, 2026.

Metric Guided
Capital plan
2026
$3.3B

Guidance from the call

Stated verbally and extracted from the transcript.

Metric Guided
Full-year compensation per employee
full year
4% – 5%

Quarter detail

How the reported period landed and where the business moved.

Revenue · products & services

Cargo And Freight$5.89B +3.5% YoY
Product And Service Other$324.00M -3.6% YoY

Capital returned

Dividend / share
$1.38
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