Union Pacific (UNP) reported $6.12 billion in revenue for the quarter ended December 2024, representing a year-over-year decline of 0.6%. EPS of $2.91 for the same period compares to $2.71 a year ago.

The reported revenue compares to the Zacks Consensus Estimate of $6.15 billion, representing a surprise of -0.43%. The company delivered an EPS surprise of +4.68%, with the consensus EPS estimate being $2.78.

While investors closely watch year-over-year changes in headline numbers -- revenue and earnings -- and how they compare to Wall Street expectations to determine their next course of action, some key metrics always provide a better insight into a company's underlying performance.

Since these metrics play a crucial role in driving the top- and bottom-line numbers, comparing them with the year-ago numbers and what analysts estimated about them helps investors better project a stock's price performance.

Here is how Union Pacific performed in the just reported quarter in terms of the metrics most widely monitored and projected by Wall Street analysts: