Head to head · SEC data as of July 18, 2026
Union Pacific
78
Quality score · out of 100
CSX
70
Quality score · out of 100
Union Pacific comes in ahead: a quality score of 78 versus 70 for CSX. Union Pacific wins on net margin (29.2% vs 21.6%), ROE (37.1% vs 22.5%) and cash generation (FCF) (23.1% vs 13.5%). CSX doesn't take a single major metric today.
| Metric | Union Pacific | CSX |
|---|---|---|
| Quality score (0-100) | 78 | 70 |
| Net margin | 29.2% | 21.6% |
| Gross margin | — | — |
| ROE | 37.1% | 22.5% |
| Net debt/EBITDA | 2.34× | 2.53× |
| FCF margin | 23.1% | 13.5% |
| Revenue growth (annualized) | 4.6% | 5.7% |
| Earnings growth (annualized) | 8.6% | 6% |
TTM metrics with official SEC data, refreshed daily. Bold green marks the winner of each metric. A dash means the metric doesn't apply or isn't reliable.
Union Pacific. Union Pacific is one of the largest freight railroads in the U.S. It moves coal, agricultural products, containers, cars and industrial goods across the western half of the country. It operates a rail network that's nearly impossible to replicate, an enormous barrier to entry.
CSX. CSX runs one of the two big railroads of the eastern U.S., moving coal, chemicals, grain and containers over thousands of miles of its own track. A regional duopoly with near-absolute entry barriers: nobody is building another network.
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What this comparison doesn't tell you
The score measures business quality, not whether the stock is cheap or expensive: the better company can be the worse investment if you overpay. For the valuation verdict, enter each one's current price in the analyzer:
Who has the stronger fundamentals today, Union Pacific or CSX?
By the StockSemáforo model (profitability, growth and financial strength, built on official SEC data), Union Pacific scores higher: 78 versus 70 out of 100. The score is recomputed nightly with the latest filings.
Does that make Union Pacific the better investment?
No. The score measures business quality, not valuation: an excellent company can trade at an excessive price and be a poor investment at that price. To find out whether it's cheap or expensive, enter its current quote in the StockSemáforo analyzer.
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Who's behind the methodology and model · how the score is computed
Data: official SEC filings (EDGAR) · Recomputed on July 18, 2026
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