Union Pacific Corporation Declares Quarterly Dividend of $1.38 (NYSE:UNP)

Union Pacific Corporation (NYSE:UNP) announced a quarterly dividend on Thursday, February 5th. Investors of record on Friday, February 27th will be paid a dividend of 1.38 per share by the railroad operator on Tuesday, March 31st. This represents a c) annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 2.2%. The ex-dividend date is Friday, February 27th.

Union Pacific has increased its dividend by an average of 0.1%per year over the last three years and has increased its dividend every year for the last 18 years. Union Pacific has a payout ratio of 43.1% indicating that its dividend is sufficiently covered by earnings. Equities analysts expect Union Pacific to earn $13.11 per share next year, which means the company should continue to be able to cover its $5.52 annual dividend with an expected future payout ratio of 42.1%.

Union Pacific Stock Up 0.1%

NYSE UNP traded up $0.13 on Friday, reaching $251.58. The stock had a trading volume of 760,233 shares, compared to its average volume of 3,578,669. The company has a current ratio of 0.91, a quick ratio of 0.60 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.64. Union Pacific has a 1 year low of $204.66 and a 1 year high of $253.20. The business has a 50 day moving average price of $233.45 and a 200 day moving average price of $227.25. The company has a market capitalization of $149.23 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 21.02, a P/E/G ratio of 2.72 and a beta of 0.98.

Union Pacific (NYSE:UNP) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, January 27th. The railroad operator reported $2.86 earnings per share for the quarter, missing analysts’ consensus estimates of $2.92 by ($0.06). The firm had revenue of $6.09 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $6.15 billion. Union Pacific had a return on equity of 40.89% and a net margin of 29.12%.The firm’s revenue for the quarter was down .6% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period last year, the business earned $2.91 earnings per share. On average, analysts forecast that Union Pacific will post 11.99 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

UNP has been the topic of several analyst reports. Susquehanna reiterated a “buy” rating on shares of Union Pacific in a report on Monday, January 19th. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft set a $245.00 target price on shares of Union Pacific in a research note on Thursday, December 11th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. cut their target price on shares of Union Pacific from $270.00 to $265.00 and set a “neutral” rating for the company in a research report on Wednesday, January 28th. BMO Capital Markets set a $255.00 price target on shares of Union Pacific in a report on Wednesday, January 7th. Finally, Citigroup reiterated a “buy” rating and issued a $270.00 price objective (up from $265.00) on shares of Union Pacific in a research note on Wednesday, January 28th. One research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, twelve have issued a Buy rating and eleven have given a Hold rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat.com, Union Pacific presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $258.32.

Union Pacific Company Profile

Union Pacific Corporation (NYSE: UNP) is one of the largest freight railroad companies in the United States. Its principal operating subsidiary, Union Pacific Railroad, has roots that trace back to the Pacific Railway Act of 1862 and the construction of the first transcontinental rail link completed in 1869. The company is headquartered in Omaha, Nebraska, and operates as a holding company for rail transportation and related services.

Union Pacific’s core business is the movement of freight by rail across an extensive rail network serving the western two?thirds of the United States.