Delta Air Lines, Inc. vs Union Pacific Corporation — how do they compare? Delta Air Lines, Inc. trades at $85.98 (market cap $56.23B), while Union Pacific Corporation trades at $286.62 (market cap $171.17B). The key difference: Union Pacific Corporation is far larger — about 3× Delta Air Lines, Inc.'s market cap, and Union Pacific Corporation pays the higher dividend (1.91%). Which is the better fit depends on your goals.
| DAL | UNP | |
|---|---|---|
Market Cap | $56.23B | $171.17B |
Sector | Industrials | Industrials |
52-Week High | $93.66 | $289.13 |
52-Week Low | $51.15 | $214.91 |
Enterprise Value | $71.55B | $201.64B |
Dividend Yield | 0.91% | 1.91% |
Signals from Pluang's Aura AI — not financial advice
Delta Air Lines (DAL) trades at $86.19, down 1.37% on the day, with a bullish technical outlook supported by strong earnings beats and positive analyst sentiment. The stock shows solid fundamentals with a P/E of 14.29 and net income margin of 5.78%, while recent news highlights premium demand resilience and AI-driven customer satisfaction improvements. Cash flow trends have strengthened, with net cash flow turning positive in 2025 at $1.08 billion.
The outlook remains favorable with an 81.82% analyst buy rating and a $108.27 consensus price target implying 26% upside. Key risks include fuel cost volatility and competitive pressures, but strong institutional support and consistent earnings performance underpin potential for continued growth amid stable travel demand.
Union Pacific (UNP) trades at $289.13, up 0.76% with a bullish technical signal. The company shows strong profitability with 29.2% net margins and 40.69% ROE, though valuation multiples remain elevated. Recent earnings beat expectations in Q1 2026, and the proposed Norfolk Southern merger represents a significant growth catalyst. Cash flow generation remains robust at $9.29B from operations in 2025.
Outlook remains positive with analyst consensus at Buy and $304.23 price target, though regulatory hurdles for the merger and elevated RSI levels pose near-term risks. The stock offers dividend growth potential with stable operational performance, but faces headwinds from industry consolidation concerns and potential legal liabilities from ongoing class action litigation.
Trailing returns across standard periods
Latest headlines on both assets
Atlanta-based Delta Air Lines is one of the world's largest airlines, with a network of over 300 destinations in more than 50 countries. Delta operates a hub-and-spoke system network, where it gathers and distributes passengers across the globe through key locations such as Atlanta, New York, Salt Lake City, Detroit, Seattle, and Minneapolis-St. Paul. Delta's sale of frequent flier miles, particularly to American Express, is a major driver of the firm's profits.
Read more on DAL →Omaha, Nebraska-based Union Pacific is the largest public railroad in North America. Operating on more than 30,000 miles of track in the western two thirds of the U.S., UP generated roughly $22 billion of revenue in 2021 by hauling coal, industrial products, intermodal containers, agriculture goods, chemicals, and automotive goods. UP owns about one fourth of Mexican railroad Ferromex and derives about 10% of its revenue hauling freight to and from Mexico.
Read more on UNP →