Zacks Analyst Insights: Morgan Stanley, Union Pacific, The Southern, and Aware
Written by Emily J. Thompson, Senior Investment Analyst
Updated: Nov 07 2025
0mins
Should l Buy UNP?
Source: NASDAQ.COM
Zacks Analyst Blog Highlights: The Zacks Equity Research team featured stocks such as Morgan Stanley, Union Pacific Corp., The Southern Co., and Aware, Inc., providing insights into their performance and market conditions.
Morgan Stanley Performance: Morgan Stanley's shares have outperformed its industry, driven by its focus on wealth management and strategic acquisitions, although rising costs may impact future profitability.
Union Pacific Challenges: Union Pacific has underperformed its industry due to softening consumer markets and high inflation, prompting the company to cut costs while maintaining dividends amidst revenue pressures.
Southern Company and Aware, Inc. Updates: Southern Company shows stable growth potential despite high leverage risks, while Aware, Inc. is experiencing growth in its SaaS model but faces execution risks and volatile revenue streams.
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Analyst Views on UNP
Wall Street analysts forecast UNP stock price to rise
15 Analyst Rating
9 Buy
6 Hold
0 Sell
Moderate Buy
Current: 265.000
Low
245.00
Averages
265.27
High
289.00
Current: 265.000
Low
245.00
Averages
265.27
High
289.00
About UNP
Union Pacific Corporation, through its principal operating company, Union Pacific Railroad Company, connects over 23 states in the western two-thirds of the country by rail, providing a critical link in the global supply chain. It maintains coordinated schedules with other rail carriers to move freight to and from the Atlantic Coast, the Pacific Coast, the Southeast, the Southwest, Canada, and Mexico. The railroad’s diversified business mix includes bulk, industrial, and premium. Its Bulk shipments consist of grain and grain products, fertilizer, food and refrigerated, and coal and renewables. The Industrial shipments consist of several categories, including construction, industrial chemicals, plastics, forest products, specialized products (primarily waste, salt, and roofing), metals and ores, petroleum, liquid petroleum gases (LPG), soda ash, and sand. Its Premium shipments include finished automobiles, automotive parts, and merchandise in intermodal containers.
About the author
Emily J. Thompson
Emily J. Thompson, a Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA) with 12 years in investment research, graduated with honors from the Wharton School. Specializing in industrial and technology stocks, she provides in-depth analysis for Intellectia’s earnings and market brief reports.
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- Portfolio Adjustments: In Q4 2025, the fund exited its positions in Union Pacific (UNP) and Revvity (RVTY), suggesting a strategic shift in response to changing market conditions that could impact future earnings potential.
- Market Comparison: The fund's performance trailing the S&P 500 reflects a need for reevaluation of its investment strategy to maintain competitiveness amid future market fluctuations.
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- Market Comparison: The fund's performance trailing the S&P 500 reflects a need for reevaluation of its investment strategy to maintain competitiveness amid future market fluctuations.
- Industry Dynamics: Union Pacific's presentation at Barclays' 43rd Annual Industrial Select Conference highlights ongoing interest in the company, which may influence the Bretton Fund's investment decisions moving forward.
See More
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- New Investment Position: Baupost Group established a new stake in Amazon during Q4, making it the fund's second-largest holding at 9.3% of assets, reflecting confidence in the e-commerce and cloud giant despite differing views from Buffett.
- Portfolio Adjustments: The fund completely exited its position in PagSeguro Digital in Q4, indicating a strategic portfolio adjustment likely based on market performance and future expectations.
- Top Holdings: As of December 31, Restaurant Brands International remains Baupost's largest holding, indicating sustained confidence in the restaurant sector, and it was also the top holding in Q3, showcasing stability.
- Market Performance Comparison: Amazon was the worst-performing stock among the Magnificent Seven in 2025, and Baupost's investment decision may be based on optimism regarding its cloud segment growth, which will test the effectiveness of Klarman's strategy against Buffett's reduction in exposure.
See More
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- Spotify Position: Loeb invested $58 million in Spotify in the same quarter, which saw a drop of more than 16%, yet finished the year nearly 30% higher, indicating market confidence in its growth, with analysts suggesting a potential increase of over 42%.
- Union Pacific Stake Increase: Loeb also more than doubled his position in Union Pacific, raising its value to over $418 million, making it the fund's fifth-largest holding, reflecting a positive outlook on the railroad sector despite challenging market conditions.
- New and Reduced Positions: In addition to increasing stakes, Loeb established new positions in Constellation Energy and Alibaba while selling off shares in Flutter, Meta, and Talen Energy, demonstrating a strategic adjustment of his portfolio amid market volatility.
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AI Impact on Trading: High-frequency trading algorithms reacted quickly to market headlines, causing significant fluctuations in stock prices, which traders need to navigate carefully to avoid losses.
Investment Opportunities: Despite recent downturns, some transportation stocks have shown strong performance in early 2026, suggesting potential buying opportunities for investors looking to capitalize on market corrections.
See More
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- Stock Performance: Norfolk Southern Corporation (NYSE:NSC) shares have risen 23.6% over the past year and 10% year-to-date, indicating market confidence in its future growth despite industry challenges.
- Earnings Report: The latest earnings report revealed an adjusted profit of $3.22 per share, up from $3.04 a year ago, showcasing improved profitability; however, revenue fell 2% year-over-year to $3 billion, reflecting increased market competition.
- Analyst Rating Changes: Baird lowered its price target for Norfolk Southern from $293 to $288 while maintaining a Neutral rating, indicating a cautious outlook on its future performance, particularly in light of the merger plans.
- Merger Impact: Deutsche Bank downgraded the stock from Buy to Hold, citing potential fluctuations in the railroad industry due to the merger; however, Cramer argued that this downgrade was ill-advised, emphasizing the market's underlying confidence in the stock.
See More
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- Increased Amazon Holdings: Baupost Fund added 2.12 million shares of Amazon (AMZN) valued at $489.7 million in Q4, indicating strong confidence in the company's growth potential and a strategy to capitalize on market fluctuations.
- Exited PagSeguro: The fund completely exited its stake in PagSeguro (PAGS) during the same quarter, reflecting a cautious outlook on the company's prospects and a potential reallocation of funds to more promising investments.
- Boosted Union Pacific Stake: Baupost increased its holdings in Union Pacific (UNP) from 1.50 million to 1.63 million shares, valued at $376.4 million, signaling a positive long-term outlook on the rail transport sector amid economic recovery.
- Reduced Other Holdings: During this period, Baupost also reduced its stakes in Alphabet (GOOG) and CRH (CRH), demonstrating a dynamic adjustment in its portfolio to optimize the balance between risk and return.
See More
