HWM vs. UNP: A Head-to-Head Stock Comparison

Updated on August 24, 2025

Here’s a clear look at HWM and UNP, comparing key factors like historical performance, profitability, financial strength, growth, dividend, and valuation.

Company Profile

Symbol	HWM	UNP
Company Name	Howmet Aerospace Inc.	Union Pacific Corporation
Country	United States	United States
GICS Sector	Industrials	Industrials
GICS Industry	Aerospace & Defense	Ground Transportation
Market Capitalization	69.31 billion USD	133.84 billion USD
Exchange	NYSE	NYSE
Listing Date	November 1, 2016	January 2, 1980
Security Type	Common Stock	Common Stock

Historical Performance

This chart compares the performance of HWM and UNP by tracking the growth of an initial $10,000 investment in each. Use the tabs to select the desired time period. Data is adjusted for dividends and splits.

HWM vs. UNP: Growth of a $10,000 investment over the past one year.

Historical Performance at a Glance

Symbol	HWM	UNP
5-Day Price Return	-2.30%	1.88%
13-Week Price Return	3.43%	-1.66%
26-Week Price Return	34.24%	-10.08%
52-Week Price Return	78.42%	-8.29%
Month-to-Date Return	-4.36%	1.67%
Year-to-Date Return	57.21%	-1.03%
10-Day Avg. Volume	2.19M	3.88M
3-Month Avg. Volume	3.04M	3.69M
3-Month Volatility	27.87%	19.10%
Beta	1.47	1.07

Profitability

Return on Equity (TTM)

HWM

29.58%

Aerospace & Defense Industry

Max: 43.89%
Q3: 22.42%
Median: 12.50%
Q1: 5.21%
Min: -6.24%

In the upper quartile for the Aerospace & Defense industry, HWM’s Return on Equity of 29.58% signals a highly effective use of shareholder capital to drive profitability compared to most of its peers.

UNP

42.18%

Ground Transportation Industry

Max: 22.11%
Q3: 13.84%
Median: 9.66%
Q1: 7.55%
Min: 0.36%

UNP’s Return on Equity of 42.18% is exceptionally high, placing it well beyond the typical range for the Ground Transportation industry. This demonstrates a superior ability to generate profit from shareholder investments, though it could also be inflated by high financial leverage.

HWM vs. UNP: A comparison of their Return on Equity (TTM) against their respective Aerospace & Defense and Ground Transportation industry benchmarks.

Net Profit Margin (TTM)

HWM

18.09%

Aerospace & Defense Industry

Max: 14.54%
Q3: 8.08%
Median: 6.17%
Q1: 2.49%
Min: -1.63%

HWM’s Net Profit Margin of 18.09% is exceptionally high, placing it well beyond the typical range for the Aerospace & Defense industry. This demonstrates outstanding operational efficiency and a strong competitive advantage in converting revenue into profit.

UNP

28.43%

Ground Transportation Industry

Max: 32.20%
Q3: 18.59%
Median: 7.11%
Q1: 4.13%
Min: -10.38%

A Net Profit Margin of 28.43% places UNP in the upper quartile for the Ground Transportation industry, signifying strong profitability and more effective cost management than most of its peers.

HWM vs. UNP: A comparison of their Net Profit Margin (TTM) against their respective Aerospace & Defense and Ground Transportation industry benchmarks.

Operating Profit Margin (TTM)

HWM

24.28%

Aerospace & Defense Industry

Max: 16.63%
Q3: 10.38%
Median: 8.29%
Q1: 6.21%
Min: 0.95%

HWM’s Operating Profit Margin of 24.28% is exceptionally high, placing it well above the typical range for the Aerospace & Defense industry. This demonstrates outstanding efficiency in managing its core operations, which can be a result of strong pricing power or superior cost control.

UNP

40.33%

Ground Transportation Industry

Max: 41.31%
Q3: 23.16%
Median: 11.33%
Q1: 6.82%
Min: -12.08%

An Operating Profit Margin of 40.33% places UNP in the upper quartile for the Ground Transportation industry. This signals a strong ability to translate revenue into operating profit, outperforming most of its competitors in core business efficiency.

HWM vs. UNP: A comparison of their Operating Profit Margin (TTM) against their respective Aerospace & Defense and Ground Transportation industry benchmarks.

Profitability at a Glance

Symbol	HWM	UNP
Return on Equity (TTM)	29.58%	42.18%
Return on Assets (TTM)	13.03%	10.19%
Net Profit Margin (TTM)	18.09%	28.43%
Operating Profit Margin (TTM)	24.28%	40.33%
Gross Profit Margin (TTM)	32.69%	79.89%

Financial Strength

Current Ratio (MRQ)

HWM

2.31

Aerospace & Defense Industry

Max: 3.09
Q3: 1.98
Median: 1.23
Q1: 1.03
Min: 0.02

HWM’s Current Ratio of 2.31 is in the upper quartile for the Aerospace & Defense industry. This signifies a strong liquidity position, suggesting the company is well-equipped to cover its immediate liabilities compared to its peers.

UNP

0.65

Ground Transportation Industry

Max: 2.03
Q3: 1.26
Median: 0.89
Q1: 0.73
Min: 0.38

UNP’s Current Ratio of 0.65 falls into the lower quartile for the Ground Transportation industry. This indicates a tighter liquidity situation and a more constrained capacity to handle short-term debt than many of its competitors.

HWM vs. UNP: A comparison of their Current Ratio (MRQ) against their respective Aerospace & Defense and Ground Transportation industry benchmarks.

Debt-to-Equity Ratio (MRQ)

HWM

0.65

Aerospace & Defense Industry

Max: 1.70
Q3: 1.04
Median: 0.68
Q1: 0.41
Min: 0.00

HWM’s Debt-to-Equity Ratio of 0.65 is typical for the Aerospace & Defense industry, indicating its use of leverage is in line with the sector norm. This suggests a balanced approach to its capital structure.

UNP

2.02

Ground Transportation Industry

Max: 2.51
Q3: 1.51
Median: 1.06
Q1: 0.47
Min: 0.00

UNP’s leverage is in the upper quartile of the Ground Transportation industry, with a Debt-to-Equity Ratio of 2.02. While this approach can boost equity growth, it also exposes the company to greater financial vulnerability.

HWM vs. UNP: A comparison of their Debt-to-Equity Ratio (MRQ) against their respective Aerospace & Defense and Ground Transportation industry benchmarks.

Interest Coverage Ratio (TTM)

HWM

7.92

Aerospace & Defense Industry

Max: 36.57
Q3: 19.90
Median: 7.04
Q1: 2.40
Min: -7.63

HWM’s Interest Coverage Ratio of 7.92 is positioned comfortably within the norm for the Aerospace & Defense industry, indicating a standard and healthy capacity to cover its interest payments.

UNP

8.23

Ground Transportation Industry

Max: 51.07
Q3: 22.54
Median: 7.94
Q1: 2.72
Min: -24.57

UNP’s Interest Coverage Ratio of 8.23 is positioned comfortably within the norm for the Ground Transportation industry, indicating a standard and healthy capacity to cover its interest payments.

HWM vs. UNP: A comparison of their Interest Coverage Ratio (TTM) against their respective Aerospace & Defense and Ground Transportation industry benchmarks.

Financial Strength at a Glance

Symbol	HWM	UNP
Current Ratio (MRQ)	2.31	0.65
Quick Ratio (MRQ)	0.91	0.53
Debt-to-Equity Ratio (MRQ)	0.65	2.02
Interest Coverage Ratio (TTM)	7.92	8.23

Growth

Revenue Growth

HWM vs. UNP: A side-by-side comparison of their Revenue Growth for the MRQ (YoY), TTM (YoY), 3-Year CAGR, and 5-Year CAGR periods.

EPS Growth

HWM vs. UNP: A side-by-side comparison of their EPS Growth for the MRQ (YoY), TTM (YoY), 3-Year CAGR, and 5-Year CAGR periods.

Dividend

Dividend Yield (TTM)

HWM

0.22%

Aerospace & Defense Industry

Max: 2.03%
Q3: 1.22%
Median: 0.43%
Q1: 0.00%
Min: 0.00%

HWM’s Dividend Yield of 0.22% is consistent with its peers in the Aerospace & Defense industry, providing a dividend return that is standard for its sector.

UNP

2.40%

Ground Transportation Industry

Max: 5.44%
Q3: 2.49%
Median: 1.53%
Q1: 0.39%
Min: 0.00%

UNP’s Dividend Yield of 2.40% is consistent with its peers in the Ground Transportation industry, providing a dividend return that is standard for its sector.

HWM vs. UNP: A comparison of their Dividend Yield (TTM) against their respective Aerospace & Defense and Ground Transportation industry benchmarks.

Dividend Payout Ratio (TTM)

HWM

10.74%

Aerospace & Defense Industry

Max: 83.87%
Q3: 49.90%
Median: 16.48%
Q1: 0.00%
Min: 0.00%

HWM’s Dividend Payout Ratio of 10.74% is within the typical range for the Aerospace & Defense industry, suggesting a balanced approach between shareholder payouts and company reinvestment.

UNP

46.49%

Ground Transportation Industry

Max: 137.07%
Q3: 74.71%
Median: 41.16%
Q1: 15.12%
Min: 0.00%

UNP’s Dividend Payout Ratio of 46.49% is within the typical range for the Ground Transportation industry, suggesting a balanced approach between shareholder payouts and company reinvestment.

HWM vs. UNP: A comparison of their Dividend Payout Ratio (TTM) against their respective Aerospace & Defense and Ground Transportation industry benchmarks.

Dividend at a Glance

Symbol	HWM	UNP
Dividend Yield (TTM)	0.22%	2.40%
Dividend Payout Ratio (TTM)	10.74%	46.49%

Valuation

Price-to-Earnings Ratio (TTM)

HWM

49.65

Aerospace & Defense Industry

Max: 65.97
Q3: 54.11
Median: 34.53
Q1: 23.66
Min: 0.00

HWM’s P/E Ratio of 49.65 is within the middle range for the Aerospace & Defense industry. This suggests its valuation is in line with the sector average, representing neither a significant premium nor a discount compared to its peers.

UNP

19.36

Ground Transportation Industry

Max: 42.59
Q3: 24.86
Median: 16.38
Q1: 12.79
Min: 4.37

UNP’s P/E Ratio of 19.36 is within the middle range for the Ground Transportation industry. This suggests its valuation is in line with the sector average, representing neither a significant premium nor a discount compared to its peers.

HWM vs. UNP: A comparison of their Price-to-Earnings Ratio (TTM) against their respective Aerospace & Defense and Ground Transportation industry benchmarks.

Price-to-Sales Ratio (TTM)

HWM

8.98

Aerospace & Defense Industry

Max: 8.07
Q3: 4.49
Median: 2.42
Q1: 1.39
Min: 0.00

With a P/S Ratio of 8.98, HWM trades at a valuation that eclipses even the highest in the Aerospace & Defense industry. This implies the market has priced in exceptionally optimistic scenarios for future revenue growth, posing considerable valuation risk.

UNP

5.51

Ground Transportation Industry

Max: 4.02
Q3: 2.20
Median: 1.23
Q1: 0.87
Min: 0.22

With a P/S Ratio of 5.51, UNP trades at a valuation that eclipses even the highest in the Ground Transportation industry. This implies the market has priced in exceptionally optimistic scenarios for future revenue growth, posing considerable valuation risk.

HWM vs. UNP: A comparison of their Price-to-Sales Ratio (TTM) against their respective Aerospace & Defense and Ground Transportation industry benchmarks.

Price-to-Book Ratio (MRQ)

HWM

14.90

Aerospace & Defense Industry

Max: 13.67
Q3: 7.92
Median: 4.65
Q1: 2.68
Min: 0.82

At 14.90, HWM’s P/B Ratio is at an extreme premium to the Aerospace & Defense industry. This signifies that the market’s valuation is heavily reliant on future potential rather than its current net asset value, which can be a high-risk proposition.

UNP

8.46

Ground Transportation Industry

Max: 4.95
Q3: 2.78
Median: 1.38
Q1: 1.17
Min: 0.64

At 8.46, UNP’s P/B Ratio is at an extreme premium to the Ground Transportation industry. This signifies that the market’s valuation is heavily reliant on future potential rather than its current net asset value, which can be a high-risk proposition.

HWM vs. UNP: A comparison of their Price-to-Book Ratio (MRQ) against their respective Aerospace & Defense and Ground Transportation industry benchmarks.

Valuation at a Glance

Symbol	HWM	UNP
Price-to-Earnings Ratio (TTM)	49.65	19.36
Price-to-Sales Ratio (TTM)	8.98	5.51
Price-to-Book Ratio (MRQ)	14.90	8.46
Price-to-Free Cash Flow Ratio (TTM)	68.14	21.45