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Union Pacific to Report Q1 Earnings: What's in Store for the Stock?
UNPUnion Pacific(UNP) ZACKS·2025-04-21 15:50

Core Viewpoint - Union Pacific Corporation (UNP) is expected to report first-quarter 2025 results on April 24, with earnings estimates showing a slight decline compared to previous forecasts, indicating potential challenges in the freight market and consumer demand [1][3]. Earnings Estimates - The Zacks Consensus Estimate for first-quarter 2025 earnings is 2.73pershare,reflectinga2.152.73 per share, reflecting a 2.15% downward revision over the past 60 days, but a 1.5% increase from the previous year [1][2]. - Revenue estimates for the same period are projected at 6.09 billion, which is a 0.9% increase year-over-year [1]. Revenue Insights - Freight revenues are estimated at 5.7billion,indicatingadeclinefromfourthquarter2024figures,whileotherrevenuesareexpectedtoriseby5.55.7 billion, indicating a decline from fourth-quarter 2024 figures, while other revenues are expected to rise by 5.5% to 350.4 million [3]. Cost Management - The company’s cost-cutting measures are anticipated to positively impact its bottom line, with operating expenses expected to decrease by 0.4% year-over-year [4]. - The operating ratio is projected to improve by 60 basis points to 60.6%, suggesting enhanced operational efficiency [4]. Earnings Prediction Model - The current Earnings ESP for UNP is -0.05%, and it holds a Zacks Rank of 3, indicating that the model does not predict a definitive earnings beat for this quarter [5]. Previous Quarter Performance - In the fourth quarter of 2024, UNP reported earnings of 2.91pershare,surpassingtheZacksConsensusEstimateof2.91 per share, surpassing the Zacks Consensus Estimate of 2.78, with a year-over-year improvement of 7.4% due to operational efficiency and favorable pricing [7]. - Operating revenues for the fourth quarter were $6.12 billion, slightly below the consensus estimate, with a year-over-year decline of 0.6% attributed to lower fuel surcharge revenues and an unfavorable business mix [7].