Union Pacific Corporation vs Vanguard S&P 500 Growth Index Fund ETF — how do they compare? Union Pacific Corporation trades at $286.67 (market cap $169.16B), while Vanguard S&P 500 Growth Index Fund ETF trades at $83.87. The key difference: Union Pacific Corporation pays a 1.99% dividend while Vanguard S&P 500 Growth Index Fund ETF pays none, and Vanguard S&P 500 Growth Index Fund ETF is trading nearer its 52-week high, Union Pacific Corporation nearer its low. Which is the better fit depends on your goals.
| UNP | VOOG | |
|---|---|---|
Market Cap | $169.16B | — |
Sector | Industrials | Broad Market / Factor |
52-Week High | $310.62 | $85.69 |
52-Week Low | $214.91 | $65.32 |
Enterprise Value | $198.21B | — |
Dividend Yield | 1.99% | — |
Signals from Pluang's Aura AI — not financial advice
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.
VOOG trades at $84.08, down 0.5% on the day, with a bullish technical signal from moving averages and neutral oscillators. The ETF focuses on S&P 500 growth stocks, offering exposure to large-cap leaders with a low expense ratio of 0.07% (Vanguard, 2026). Recent news highlights strong long-term performance, including over 400% total returns in the past decade (The Motley Fool, 2026-09-07).
Outlook remains positive for growth-oriented investors, supported by institutional buying and media optimism. Key risks include tech sector concentration and market volatility. Analysts favor VOOG for its cost efficiency and historical outperformance, though valuation sensitivity persists amid economic uncertainties.
Trailing returns across standard periods
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 →VOOG is an index-based ETF that tracks the S&P 500 Growth Index, composed of the growth-oriented companies within the S&P 500. It selects constituents based on three key metrics—sales growth, the ratio of earnings change to price, and momentum—offering a highly liquid and low-cost way to capture the high-performing 'growth slice' of the broader U.S. large-cap market.
Read more on VOOG →