ATO vs. UNP

Last updated Jun 9, 2026

ATO (Atmos Energy Corporation) and UNP (Union Pacific Corporation) are both stocks. ATO operates in Utilities - Regulated Gas (Utilities), while UNP operates in Railroads (Industrials). Over the past 10 years, ATO returned 10.85%/yr vs 14.20%/yr for UNP. At a 0.24 correlation, their price movements are largely independent.

Performance

ATO vs. UNP - Performance Comparison

The chart below illustrates the hypothetical performance of a $10,000 investment in Atmos Energy Corporation (ATO) and Union Pacific Corporation (UNP). The values are adjusted to include any dividend payments, if applicable.

Returns By Period

In the year-to-date period, ATO achieves a 1.28% return, which is significantly lower than UNP's 17.36% return. Over the past 10 years, ATO has underperformed UNP with an annualized return of 10.85%, while UNP has yielded a comparatively higher 14.20% annualized return.

ATO

• 1D: -1.38%
• 1M: -6.65%
• YTD: 1.28%
• 6M: 1.62%
• 1Y: 12.79%
• 3Y*: 15.47%
• 5Y*: 13.44%
• 10Y*: 10.85%

UNP

• 1D: -1.34%
• 1M: 2.05%
• YTD: 17.36%
• 6M: 15.31%
• 1Y: 22.98%
• 3Y*: 12.90%
• 5Y*: 6.31%
• 10Y*: 14.20%

*Multi-year figures are annualized to reflect compound growth (CAGR)

ATO vs. UNP - Yearly Performance Comparison

	2026 (YTD)	2025	2024	2023	2022	2021	2020	2019	2018	2017
ATO Atmos Energy Corporation	1.28%	23.07%	23.35%	6.17%	9.63%	12.75%	-12.73%	23.14%	10.39%	18.41%
UNP Union Pacific Corporation	17.36%	3.86%	-5.10%	21.61%	-15.93%	23.31%	17.64%	33.70%	5.26%	32.30%

Correlation

The correlation between ATO and UNP is 0.30, which is low. Their price movements are largely independent, making them effective diversification partners.

	Correlation
Correlation (1Y) Calculated over the trailing 1-year period	0.30
Correlation (3Y) Calculated over the trailing 3-year period	0.35
Correlation (5Y) Calculated over the trailing 5-year period	0.40
Correlation (10Y) Calculated over the trailing 10-year period	0.30
Correlation (All Time) Calculated using the full available price history since Jan 5, 1987	0.24

The correlation between ATO and UNP shifts across timeframes, from 0.24 (all time) to 0.40 (5 years), reflecting how their relationship changes across market environments.

Fundamentals

Market Cap ATO : $28.17B UNP : $159.48B
EPS ATO : $8.23 UNP : $9.29
PE Ratio ATO : 20.40 UNP : 28.93
PEG Ratio ATO : 2.01 UNP : 5.79
PS Ratio ATO : 5.63 UNP : 8.63
PB Ratio ATO : 0.98 UNP : 8.21K
Total Revenue (TTM) ATO : $4.88B UNP : $18.49B
Gross Profit (TTM) ATO : $1.61B UNP : $8.47B
EBITDA (TTM) ATO : $2.57B UNP : $9.89B

Return for Risk

ATO vs. UNP — Risk / Return Rank

Compare risk-adjusted metric ranks to identify better-performing investments over the past 12 months.

ATO

ATO Risk / Return Rank: 64
ATO Sharpe Ratio Rank: 69
ATO Sortino Ratio Rank: 61
ATO Omega Ratio Rank: 59
ATO Calmar Ratio Rank: 63
ATO Martin Ratio Rank: 69

UNP

UNP Risk / Return Rank: 72
UNP Sharpe Ratio Rank: 74
UNP Sortino Ratio Rank: 69
UNP Omega Ratio Rank: 68
UNP Calmar Ratio Rank: 74
UNP Martin Ratio Rank: 75

The rank (0–100) shows how this investment's returns compare to the risk taken. Higher = better. Based on the past 12 months of data, combining Sharpe, Sortino, and other metrics used by quantitative funds and institutional investors.

ATO vs. UNP - Risk-Adjusted Trends Comparison

This table presents a comparison of risk-adjusted performance metrics for Atmos Energy Corporation (ATO) and Union Pacific Corporation (UNP). Risk-adjusted metrics are performance indicators that assess an investment's returns in relation to its risk, enabling a more accurate comparison of different investment options.

	ATO	UNP	Difference
Sharpe ratio: Return per unit of total volatility	0.83	1.07	-0.24
Sortino ratio: Return per unit of downside risk	1.23	1.64	-0.42
Omega ratio: Gain probability vs. loss probability	1.15	1.21	-0.06
Calmar ratio: Return relative to maximum drawdown	1.02	1.88	-0.86
Martin ratio: Return relative to average drawdown	3.28	4.56	-1.28
Data is calculated on a 1-year rolling basis and updated daily. The trend shows the change in the indicator over the past month.

ATO vs. UNP - Sharpe Ratio Comparison

The current ATO Sharpe Ratio is 0.83, which is comparable to the UNP Sharpe Ratio of 1.07. The chart below compares the historical Sharpe Ratios of ATO and UNP, calculated using daily returns over the previous 12 months. A higher Sharpe Ratio indicates better risk-adjusted performance relative to the risk-free rate.

Sharpe Ratios by Period

	ATO	UNP	Difference
Sharpe Ratio (1Y) Calculated over the trailing 1-year period	0.83	1.07	-0.24
Sharpe Ratio (5Y) Calculated over the trailing 5-year period	0.73	0.28	+0.45
Sharpe Ratio (10Y) Calculated over the trailing 10-year period	0.51	0.56	-0.05
Sharpe Ratio (All Time) Calculated using the full available price history	0.52	0.42	+0.09

Drawdowns

ATO vs. UNP - Drawdown Comparison

The maximum ATO drawdown since its inception was -51.94%, smaller than the maximum UNP drawdown of -67.49%. Use the drawdown chart below to compare losses from any high point for ATO and UNP.

Drawdown Indicators

	ATO	UNP	Difference
Max Drawdown Largest peak-to-trough decline	-51.94%	-67.49%	+15.55%
Max Drawdown (1Y) Largest decline over 1 year	-12.58%	-12.28%	-0.30%
Max Drawdown (3Y) Largest decline over 3 years	-16.87%	-17.75%	+0.88%
Max Drawdown (5Y) Largest decline over 5 years	-19.08%	-31.83%	+12.75%
Max Drawdown (10Y) Largest decline over 10 years	-32.91%	-38.72%	+5.81%
Current Drawdown Current decline from peak	-12.20%	-3.34%	-8.86%
Average Drawdown Average peak-to-trough decline	-8.56%	-17.08%	+8.52%
Ulcer Index Depth and duration of drawdowns from previous peaks	3.91%	5.05%	-1.14%

Volatility

ATO vs. UNP - Volatility Comparison

The current volatility for Atmos Energy Corporation (ATO) is 5.08%, while Union Pacific Corporation (UNP) has a volatility of 8.03%. This indicates that ATO experiences smaller price fluctuations and is considered to be less risky than UNP based on this measure. The chart below showcases a comparison of their rolling one-month volatility.

Volatility by Period

	ATO	UNP	Difference
Volatility (1M) Calculated over the trailing 1-month period	5.08%	8.03%	-2.95%
Volatility (6M) Calculated over the trailing 6-month period	11.44%	17.34%	-5.90%
Volatility (1Y) Calculated over the trailing 1-year period	15.51%	21.55%	-6.04%
Volatility (5Y) Calculated over the trailing 5-year period, annualized	18.59%	22.79%	-4.20%
Volatility (10Y) Calculated over the trailing 10-year period, annualized	21.25%	25.32%	-4.07%

Dividends

ATO vs. UNP - Dividend Comparison

ATO's dividend yield for the trailing twelve months is around 2.31%, more than UNP's 2.05% yield.

Position	TTM	2025	2024	2023	2022	2021	2020	2019	2018	2017	2016	2015
ATO Atmos Energy Corporation	2.31%	2.15%	2.36%	2.61%	2.48%	2.44%	2.46%	1.92%	2.14%	2.14%	2.31%	2.52%
UNP Union Pacific Corporation	2.05%	2.35%	2.32%	2.12%	2.45%	1.70%	1.86%	2.05%	2.21%	1.85%	2.17%	2.81%

Financials

ATO vs. UNP - Profitability Comparison

The chart below illustrates the profitability comparison between Atmos Energy Corporation and Union Pacific Corporation over time, highlighting three key metrics: Gross Profit Margin, Operating Margin, and Net Profit Margin.

ATO - Gross Margin

Gross margin is calculated as gross profit divided by revenue. For the three months ending on Jun 2026, Atmos Energy Corporation reported a gross profit of 0.00 and revenue of 1.96B. Therefore, the gross margin over that period was 0.0%.

UNP - Gross Margin

Gross margin is calculated as gross profit divided by revenue. For the three months ending on Jun 2026, Union Pacific Corporation reported a gross profit of 4.35M and revenue of 6.22M. Therefore, the gross margin over that period was 69.9%.

ATO - Operating Margin

Operating margin is calculated as operating income divided by revenue. For the three months ending on Jun 2026, Atmos Energy Corporation reported an operating income of 764.80M and revenue of 1.96B, resulting in an operating margin of 39.0%.

UNP - Operating Margin

Operating margin is calculated as operating income divided by revenue. For the three months ending on Jun 2026, Union Pacific Corporation reported an operating income of 2.46M and revenue of 6.22M, resulting in an operating margin of 39.5%.

ATO - Net Margin

Net margin is calculated as net income divided by revenue. For the three months ending on Jun 2026, Atmos Energy Corporation reported a net income of 581.90M and revenue of 1.96B, resulting in a net margin of 29.7%.

UNP - Net Margin

Net margin is calculated as net income divided by revenue. For the three months ending on Jun 2026, Union Pacific Corporation reported a net income of 1.70M and revenue of 6.22M, resulting in a net margin of 27.4%.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I hold both ATO and UNP in my portfolio?

ATO and UNP have a correlation of 0.30, meaning they provide meaningful diversification benefit when combined. Depending on your allocation goals, holding both could reduce overall portfolio risk.

Which is riskier, ATO or UNP?

UNP has higher volatility (8.03%) compared to ATO (5.08%). In terms of maximum drawdown, ATO dropped -51.94% vs UNP's -67.49%.

Which has better risk-adjusted returns?

UNP currently has the higher Sharpe Ratio (1.07 vs 0.83), meaning it's delivered slightly more return per unit of risk over the trailing 12 months. However, this ranking shifts over time - use the Risk/Return Score above for a more comprehensive view that combines Sharpe, Sortino, and other measures used by quantitative funds.