Union Pacific Soaring (UNP, DJIA)

Shares of America's largest railroad, Union Pacific UNP, have broken out to a fresh 52-week high and are nearing their all-time high reached in 2008. Shares are up $1.32, or 1.65%, to $81.28. The stock's all-time high was $85.80 reached in September 2008, right before the collapse of Lehman Brothers. The stock has been on a tear in the last month, gaining 9.4% versus a gain of 4.6% for the Dow Jones Industrial Average (DJIA). Many traders and analysts believe railroads to be a useful leading indicator because of the variety of goods they haul to business and consumers. Thus, the strong performance of Union Pacific may be signaling the economy is on the mend.