Union Pacific Corporation (UNP) vs United Parcel Service, Inc. (UPS)
UPS leads on 9 of 17 compared metrics.
A side-by-side comparison of Union Pacific Corporation and United Parcel Service, Inc. across valuation, profitability, dividends, and growth — built entirely from reported fundamentals, as of June 14, 2026. The ● marks the stronger figure on each row (cheaper multiple, higher margin/return).
UNP
Union Pacific Corporation
$272.70Industrials
UPS
United Parcel Service, Inc.
$108.10Industrials
Total return — UNP vs UPS
growth of $100 · last 27yUNP +1989.7%UPS +58.7%UNP compounded faster
Log scale — wide-divergence pair
UNP UPS
UNP vs UPS: by the numbers
- •UNP is the larger company ($161.91B vs $91.89B market cap).
- •UPS trades at the lower earnings multiple (17.49 vs 22.46 P/E).
- •UNP converts more revenue to profit (29.20% vs 5.94% net margin).
- •UNP grew revenue faster over the past five years (5.05% vs -0.23% CAGR).
- •UPS pays the higher dividend yield (6.07% vs 2.02%).
Which is better, UNP or UPS?
Metric tally: UNP 8 · UPS 9It depends on what you're optimizing for:
ValueUPS(lower P/E)
GrowthUNP(faster 5Y revenue CAGR)
IncomeUPS(higher dividend yield)
QualityUNP(higher ROIC)
Valuation
| Metric | UNP | UPS |
|---|---|---|
| P/E ratio | 22.46 | 17.49● |
| Forward P/E | 19.87 | 13.63● |
| P/S ratio | 6.55 | 1.04● |
| P/B ratio | 8.34 | 5.83● |
| PEG ratio | 2.34 | 0.52● |
| EV / EBITDA | 14.73 | 9.85● |
| FCF yield | 3.52% | 4.91%● |
Profitability
| Metric | UNP | UPS |
|---|---|---|
| Gross margin | 45.67%● | 17.79% |
| Operating margin | 40.09%● | 8.46% |
| Net margin | 29.20%● | 5.94% |
| ROE | 37.15%● | 33.30% |
| ROIC | 11.70%● | 10.40% |
Dividends
| Metric | UNP | UPS |
|---|---|---|
| Dividend yield | 2.02% | 6.07%● |
| Payout ratio | 45.96% | 100.00% |
Growth (annualized)
| Metric | UNP | UPS |
|---|---|---|
| Revenue CAGR (5Y) | 5.05%● | -0.23% |
| EPS CAGR (5Y) | 8.74% | 33.45%● |
| FCF CAGR (5Y) | 0.04%● | -8.72% |
| Total return CAGR (5Y) | 6.62%● | -7.79% |
Frequently asked
- Which is better, UNP or UPS?
- It depends on your goal. value: UPS (lower P/E); growth: UNP (faster 5Y revenue CAGR); income: UPS (higher dividend yield); quality: UNP (higher ROIC). Across all compared metrics, UPS leads 9 to 8.
- Is UNP or UPS cheaper?
- On trailing earnings, UPS is cheaper: UNP trades at a 22.46 P/E and UPS at 17.49.
- Which has grown faster, UNP or UPS?
- Over the past five years, UNP grew revenue faster — UNP at a 5.05% CAGR versus UPS at -0.23%.
- Does UNP or UPS pay a bigger dividend?
- UNP yields 2.02% and UPS yields 6.07% based on trailing dividends and the latest price.
- Is UNP or UPS more profitable?
- UNP runs the higher net margin — UNP at 29.20% versus UPS at 5.94%.
- Which has been the better investment, UNP or UPS?
- Over the past 10-year, UNP delivered the higher annualized total return — UNP at 14.35% versus UPS at 4.22%. Past performance doesn't predict future results.
Go deeper
Dig into the metrics
Union Pacific P/E ratioUnited Parcel Service P/E ratioUnion Pacific dividend yieldUnited Parcel Service dividend yieldUnion Pacific ROEUnited Parcel Service ROEUnion Pacific operating marginUnited Parcel Service operating marginUnion Pacific revenue growthUnited Parcel Service revenue growthUnion Pacific free cash flowUnited Parcel Service free cash flow
Union Pacific & United Parcel Service appear in these rankings
Figures are sourced from reported fundamentals and the latest end-of-day price. This comparison is informational only and is not investment advice. Past performance does not predict future results. See our methodology. Compiled by TGMCharts Research · data verified June 14, 2026.