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CSX vs Union Pacific: Which Stock Looks Stronger in 2026?

Union Pacific holds the cleaner structural position, with the lead spread across profitability and valuation. CSX still has the edge on growth, which keeps the comparison from looking entirely one-sided. The market setup is mixed, without a decisive signal in either direction. The market is not adding a decisive signal either way — the structural read carries the weight.

The comparison is based on similar long-term financial trajectories, not sector labels. Both peer scores are relative to the S&P 500 universe, making them directly comparable.

Updated 2026-05-17

Profitability remains the main source of distance in the comparison. Union Pacific Corporation leads by 9 points on the overall comparison score.

INDUSTRY COMPARISON

Both operate in: Railroads

This comparison is based on industry proximity, not on functional trajectory similarity. CSX and UNP share the same industry classification.

For a similarity-based comparison, see how CSX and Union Pacific each position within their functional peer groups in AssetNext.

Peer-Relative Score
CSX
CSX Corporation
57
Peer-Score
Signal qualitylow
Peer basis: S&P 500
vs
UNP
Union Pacific Corporation
66
Peer-Score
Signal qualitylow
Peer basis: S&P 500

Scores reflect position relative to comparable companies with similar long-term financial trajectories.

The largest gaps do not all point in the same direction.

Dimension spread: CSX vs UNP Profitability 62 76 Stability 53 65 Valuation 60 73 Growth 52 40 CSX UNP
Gap Ranking
#1 Profitability +14
#2 Valuation +13
#3 Growth +12
#4 Stability +12
Price Setup

Left means cheaper relative valuation. Higher means stronger structure.

Price setup map for CSX and UNP Stronger + cheaper Stronger + richer Weaker + cheaper Weaker + richer CSXUNP Relative valuation Structural strength

The two profiles are relatively close, but the price setup still leans toward Union Pacific Corporation.

Valuation position uses peer-relative PE percentile (idx_pct_pe) where available.

Entry today — historical context

Where CSX and UNP each sit in their own 5-year price and valuation history.

BASED ON 5-YEAR HISTORY CSX Elevated · above norm 0th 50th 100th 0 pct gap UNP Elevated · above norm 0th 50th 100th 99th 99th
CSX (99th percentile) and UNP (99th percentile) both sit in the upper portion of their own 5-year ranges. The historical entry context is broadly similar for both. This reflects entry timing, not which company is structurally stronger.

Describes historical entry positioning only. Descriptive — not investment advice.

Relative Position vs Comparable Companies
Profitability
Both look solid on profitability, though Union Pacific Corporation still holds the stronger peer position.
Valuation
On valuation, the edge still sits with Union Pacific Corporation, even though both profiles look solid.
Profitability — Dominant Gap
CSX
62
UNP
76
Gap+14in favour of UNP

Capital efficiency adds support, with a 5.6-point ROIC advantage.

What keeps the gap from being one-sided

Earnings growth also leans toward CSX, which keeps the score lead from reading as a full growth sweep.

What this means for the comparison

The lead is built on both profitability and valuation — though growth still provides a counterweight.

Explore full peer positioning in AssetNext

Break down the CSX vs UNP comparison across all dimensions with the full interactive tool.

Explore full breakdown →
Similar profitability-and-valuation comparisons

Explore how CSX and UNP each compare against other companies in their peer groups.

Rule-based, descriptive analysis only. Derived from peer percentile dimensions. Not investment advice. Peer groups are determined algorithmically based on structural similarity — not by sector classification alone.

How AssetNext Peer Scores Work

AssetNext scores reflect each company's structural position within its functional peer group — not a ranking against all stocks simultaneously. Peers are identified by similarity across eight financial dimensions, including revenue growth trajectory, margin structure, capital intensity, and earnings stability. A score of 75 means the company ranks in the top quartile within its own peer group, not the entire market.

Four dimension scores drive the overall peer score: Growth (revenue trajectory and expansion dynamics), Quality (margin structure and capital efficiency), Valuation (peer-relative pricing on standard multiples), and Stability (earnings consistency and financial predictability). Each dimension is scored 0–100 relative to the peer group, then combined into an overall peer score using equal weighting.

Because scores are peer-relative, the same company can have slightly different scores in different index universes. On comparison pages, both companies are shown within their shared peer universe wherever possible — so the scores are directly comparable. The peer basis is stated on each score card.

Scores are recalculated periodically as underlying financial data is updated. All analysis is descriptive and rule-based — AssetNext describes structural realities and never issues buy, sell or hold recommendations.