Ross Stores, Inc. vs Union Pacific Corporation — how do they compare? Ross Stores, Inc. trades at $225.21 (market cap $71.96B), while Union Pacific Corporation trades at $286.67 (market cap $169.16B). The key difference: Union Pacific Corporation is far larger — about 2.4× Ross Stores, Inc.'s market cap, and Union Pacific Corporation pays the higher dividend (1.99%). Which is the better fit depends on your goals.
| ROST | UNP | |
|---|---|---|
Market Cap | $71.96B | $169.16B |
Sector | Consumer Cyclical | Industrials |
52-Week High | $255.23 | $310.62 |
52-Week Low | $144.67 | $214.91 |
Enterprise Value | $72.41B | $198.21B |
Dividend Yield | 0.79% | 1.99% |
Signals from Pluang's Aura AI — not financial advice
Ross Stores (ROST) trades at $229.31, down 0.6% on the day, amid a bearish technical signal but strong fundamental performance. The company has consistently beaten earnings estimates, with Q2 2026 EPS of $2.66 surpassing the $1.95 forecast, and raised its full-year outlook. Revenue reached $21.13B in 2025, with net income of $2.09B and robust profitability metrics, including a 42.63% ROE. Analysts maintain a bullish consensus with a $271.33 price target, though technical indicators show near-term resistance.
The outlook for ROST is positive, driven by strong execution, expanding margins, and resilient consumer demand for value retail. Investment opportunities include continued earnings growth and potential upside to analyst targets. Key risks involve macroeconomic sensitivity, competitive pressures, and any deviation from its traffic growth trajectory. The stock's valuation at a P/E of 27.73 requires sustained performance to justify further gains.
Union Pacific (UNP) trades at $288.45, down 0.4% with a bearish technical signal despite strong fundamentals. The company reported solid Q2 2026 earnings beat ($3.41 vs $3.26 expected) and maintains robust profitability with 28.85% net margin and 39.7% ROE. Recent news highlights progress on the Norfolk Southern merger, expected to close by late 2027, while institutional activity shows mixed positioning with some funds increasing stakes while others reduced exposure.
The stock offers upside to the $334.33 consensus price target with 58.7% analyst buy ratings, though technical resistance near $290-294 and merger regulatory risks warrant monitoring. Strong cash flow generation ($9.29B operating cash flow in 2025) and dividend payments ($1.42 declared for H2-26) support shareholder returns, while debt levels remain manageable at 46.06% debt-to-asset ratio.
Trailing returns across standard periods
Ross Stores is a leading American off-price apparel and home fashion retailer, operating over 1,920 stores (at the end of fiscal 2021) across the Ross Dress for Less and dd's Discounts banners. Ross offers a variety of name-brand products and targets undercutting conventional retailers' regular prices by 20%-70%. The company uses an opportunistic, flexible merchandising approach
Read more on ROST →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 →