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2 Dividend Paying Stocks From the Railroad Industry You Should Count On
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Key Takeaways
UNP yields 2.44% with a 47% payout ratio and has raised dividends for 126 straight years.
CNI offers a 2.78% yield, backed by steady buybacks and a 50% payout ratio.
Dividend paying stocks are less susceptible to market swings and act as a hedge against economic uncertainty.
Prospects of the Zacks Transportation - Rail industry’s participants are being weighed down by challenges like tariff-induced economic uncertainties, persistent inflation and concerns pertaining to lingering supply-chain disruptions. Geopolitical woes represent further challenges. Most industry players are looking to drive their bottom line amid the headwinds through cost reduction.
Partly due to these headwinds, the industry has declined 5.3% over the past year against the S&P 500 Index’s 15.6% gain. The broader Zacks Transportation sector has plunged 7.9% in the said time frame.
Image Source: Zacks Investment Research
Despite the challenges surrounding the industry, some railroad companies like Union Pacific Corporation (UNP - Free Report) and Canadian National Railway Company (CNI - Free Report) have consistently paid dividends to their shareholders, thus highlighting their pro-shareholder stance.
Dividend growth stocks generally belong to mature companies, which are less susceptible to significant market swings, and act as a hedge against uncertainty-induced stock market volatility, as is the case currently. They offer downside protection with their consistent increase in payouts.
Additionally, these companies generally have strong fundamentals like a sustainable business model, a long track of profitability, rising cash flows, good liquidity and a strong balance sheet.
How to Pick Stocks With Solid Dividend Payouts?
Investing in dividend stocks is a prudent strategy that offers a dual advantage: steady income and a cushion against market volatility. It's no wonder investors actively seek companies with a consistent and growing dividend history. These stocks provide a reliable income stream, acting as a buffer during market downturns and contributing to overall portfolio stability.
To guide investors interested in the railroad industry, we came up with certain parameters using the Zacks Stocks Screener. We shortlisted transportation stocks based on the following:
a) A dividend payout ratio of less than 60% (the dividend payout ratio — dividends paid/net income — gives the proportion of earnings paid out as dividends to shareholders. A payout ratio below 60 looks quite sustainable).
b) A dividend yield of greater than 2% (dividend yield denotes the percentage of a company’s share price that it shells out as dividends annually).
Union Pacific: Headquartered in Omaha, NE, Union Pacific, through its subsidiary, Union Pacific Railroad Company, operates in the railroad business in the United States. Currently, UNP has a market capitalization of $130.52 billion.
UNP’s quarterly dividend of $1.38 ($5.52 annualized) per share, which gives it a 2.44% yield at the current stock price. The company’s payout ratio is 47% of its earnings at present. The five-year dividend growth rate is 7.19%. (Check Union Pacific’s dividend history here).
UNP has paid dividends on its common stock for 126 consecutive years, reflecting its pro-shareholder approach. Union Pacific’s consistent initiatives to reward its shareholders through dividends and share repurchases look encouraging. In 2022, UNP paid dividends worth $3.16 billion and repurchased shares worth $6.28 billion. In 2023, the company returned $3.9 billion to its shareholders through dividends ($3.2 billion) and buybacks ($0.7 billion). During 2024, UNP paid $3.21 billion in dividends and repurchased shares worth $1.50 billion. During the first half of 2025, UNP paid $1.59 billion in dividends and repurchased shares worth $2.67 billion.
For 2025, Union Pacific's long-term capital allocation strategy remains unchanged, with a capital plan of $3.4 billion and share repurchases ranging from $4 to $4.5 billion.
Canadian National: Based in Montreal, Canada, Canadian National is involved in the rail, intermodal, trucking, and marine transportation and logistics business in Canada and the United States. Currently, CNI has a market capitalization of $58.19 billion.
CNI’s quarterly dividend leads to $2.59 per share (annualized), which gives it a 2.78% yield at the current stock price. This company’s payout ratio is 50% of its earnings at present. The five-year dividend growth rate is 7.31%. (Check Canadian National’s dividend history here).
Canadian National Railway Company Dividend Yield (TTM)
CNI’s consistent efforts to reward its shareholders via dividends and buybacks are encouraging and highlight the company's financial strength. In 2022, CNI paid dividends of C$2.00 billion and repurchased shares worth C$4.71 billion. In 2023, CNI paid dividends of C$2.07 billion and repurchased shares worth C$4.55 billion. During 2024, CNI paid dividends of C$2.14 billion and repurchased shares worth C$2.60 billion.During the first half of 2025, CNI paid dividends of C$1.11 billion and repurchased shares worth C$444 million.
Such shareholder-friendly moves indicate the company’s commitment to creating value for shareholders and underline its confidence in its business.
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2 Dividend Paying Stocks From the Railroad Industry You Should Count On
Key Takeaways
Prospects of the Zacks Transportation - Rail industry’s participants are being weighed down by challenges like tariff-induced economic uncertainties, persistent inflation and concerns pertaining to lingering supply-chain disruptions. Geopolitical woes represent further challenges. Most industry players are looking to drive their bottom line amid the headwinds through cost reduction.
Partly due to these headwinds, the industry has declined 5.3% over the past year against the S&P 500 Index’s 15.6% gain. The broader Zacks Transportation sector has plunged 7.9% in the said time frame.
Image Source: Zacks Investment Research
Despite the challenges surrounding the industry, some railroad companies like Union Pacific Corporation (UNP - Free Report) and Canadian National Railway Company (CNI - Free Report) have consistently paid dividends to their shareholders, thus highlighting their pro-shareholder stance.
Dividend growth stocks generally belong to mature companies, which are less susceptible to significant market swings, and act as a hedge against uncertainty-induced stock market volatility, as is the case currently. They offer downside protection with their consistent increase in payouts.
Additionally, these companies generally have strong fundamentals like a sustainable business model, a long track of profitability, rising cash flows, good liquidity and a strong balance sheet.
How to Pick Stocks With Solid Dividend Payouts?
Investing in dividend stocks is a prudent strategy that offers a dual advantage: steady income and a cushion against market volatility. It's no wonder investors actively seek companies with a consistent and growing dividend history. These stocks provide a reliable income stream, acting as a buffer during market downturns and contributing to overall portfolio stability.
To guide investors interested in the railroad industry, we came up with certain parameters using the Zacks Stocks Screener. We shortlisted transportation stocks based on the following:
a) A dividend payout ratio of less than 60% (the dividend payout ratio — dividends paid/net income — gives the proportion of earnings paid out as dividends to shareholders. A payout ratio below 60 looks quite sustainable).
b) A dividend yield of greater than 2% (dividend yield denotes the percentage of a company’s share price that it shells out as dividends annually).
The selected stocks have exhibited dividend growth in the past five years, apart from currently carrying a Zacks Rank #3 (Hold). You can see the complete list of today’s Zacks #1 Rank (Strong Buy) stocks here.
Union Pacific: Headquartered in Omaha, NE, Union Pacific, through its subsidiary, Union Pacific Railroad Company, operates in the railroad business in the United States. Currently, UNP has a market capitalization of $130.52 billion.
UNP’s quarterly dividend of $1.38 ($5.52 annualized) per share, which gives it a 2.44% yield at the current stock price. The company’s payout ratio is 47% of its earnings at present. The five-year dividend growth rate is 7.19%. (Check Union Pacific’s dividend history here).
Union Pacific Corporation Dividend Yield (TTM)
Union Pacific Corporation dividend-yield-ttm | Union Pacific Corporation Quote
UNP has paid dividends on its common stock for 126 consecutive years, reflecting its pro-shareholder approach. Union Pacific’s consistent initiatives to reward its shareholders through dividends and share repurchases look encouraging. In 2022, UNP paid dividends worth $3.16 billion and repurchased shares worth $6.28 billion. In 2023, the company returned $3.9 billion to its shareholders through dividends ($3.2 billion) and buybacks ($0.7 billion). During 2024, UNP paid $3.21 billion in dividends and repurchased shares worth $1.50 billion. During the first half of 2025, UNP paid $1.59 billion in dividends and repurchased shares worth $2.67 billion.
For 2025, Union Pacific's long-term capital allocation strategy remains unchanged, with a capital plan of $3.4 billion and share repurchases ranging from $4 to $4.5 billion.
Canadian National: Based in Montreal, Canada, Canadian National is involved in the rail, intermodal, trucking, and marine transportation and logistics business in Canada and the United States. Currently, CNI has a market capitalization of $58.19 billion.
CNI’s quarterly dividend leads to $2.59 per share (annualized), which gives it a 2.78% yield at the current stock price. This company’s payout ratio is 50% of its earnings at present. The five-year dividend growth rate is 7.31%. (Check Canadian National’s dividend history here).
Canadian National Railway Company Dividend Yield (TTM)
Canadian National Railway Company dividend-yield-ttm | Canadian National Railway Company Quote
CNI’s consistent efforts to reward its shareholders via dividends and buybacks are encouraging and highlight the company's financial strength. In 2022, CNI paid dividends of C$2.00 billion and repurchased shares worth C$4.71 billion. In 2023, CNI paid dividends of C$2.07 billion and repurchased shares worth C$4.55 billion. During 2024, CNI paid dividends of C$2.14 billion and repurchased shares worth C$2.60 billion.During the first half of 2025, CNI paid dividends of C$1.11 billion and repurchased shares worth C$444 million.
Such shareholder-friendly moves indicate the company’s commitment to creating value for shareholders and underline its confidence in its business.