Union Pacific (NYSE:UNP) Upgraded by Stephens to “Strong-Buy” Rating

Union Pacific (NYSE:UNP) was upgraded by research analysts at Stephens to a “strong-buy” rating in a research note issued on Wednesday,Zacks.com reports.

Several other equities analysts also recently commented on the company. Barclays reiterated an “overweight” rating and set a $315.00 price target (up from $285.00) on shares of Union Pacific in a report on Friday, April 24th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. boosted their price objective on shares of Union Pacific from $267.00 to $275.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a research note on Friday, April 24th. UBS Group reaffirmed a “neutral” rating and set a $274.00 price objective (up from $253.00) on shares of Union Pacific in a report on Friday, April 24th. Susquehanna reiterated a “positive” rating and issued a $305.00 target price on shares of Union Pacific in a research note on Friday, June 5th. Finally, Wells Fargo & Company raised their target price on shares of Union Pacific from $300.00 to $315.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a research note on Wednesday. Two analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, twelve have given a Buy rating and seven have assigned a Hold rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat, Union Pacific has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $287.72.

Union Pacific Trading Down 0.6%

Union Pacific stock opened at $281.42 on Wednesday. Union Pacific has a one year low of $210.84 and a one year high of $285.79. The company’s fifty day moving average price is $268.43 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $253.35. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.53, a current ratio of 0.92 and a quick ratio of 0.73. The company has a market capitalization of $167.08 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 23.18, a PEG ratio of 2.98 and a beta of 0.96.

Union Pacific (NYSE:UNP) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, April 23rd. The railroad operator reported $2.93 earnings per share for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $2.86 by $0.07. The company had revenue of $6.22 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $6.12 billion. Union Pacific had a return on equity of 39.58% and a net margin of 29.20%.The business’s quarterly revenue was up 3.2% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter in the previous year, the firm earned $2.70 earnings per share. On average, analysts forecast that Union Pacific will post 12.56 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Insider Buying and Selling

In related news, EVP Kenyatta G. Rocker sold 27,387 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Friday, April 24th. The shares were sold at an average price of $271.76, for a total transaction of $7,442,691.12. Following the completion of the sale, the executive vice president owned 61,102 shares in the company, valued at $16,605,079.52. This trade represents a 30.95% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available through the SEC website. Also, CFO Jennifer L. Hamann sold 2,000 shares of Union Pacific stock in a transaction dated Friday, April 24th. The shares were sold at an average price of $274.70, for a total transaction of $549,400.00. Following the transaction, the chief financial officer directly owned 114,642 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $31,492,157.40. This represents a 1.71% decrease in their ownership of the stock. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. Insiders sold 32,378 shares of company stock worth $8,781,595 in the last quarter. 0.22% of the stock is owned by corporate insiders.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Union Pacific

Institutional investors have recently bought and sold shares of the business. Cambient Family Office LLC bought a new position in Union Pacific during the fourth quarter worth $1,319,000. North Dakota State Investment Board bought a new position in Union Pacific in the 4th quarter valued at about $4,746,000. First National Bank of Omaha raised its holdings in Union Pacific by 35.8% in the 4th quarter. First National Bank of Omaha now owns 54,635 shares of the railroad operator’s stock valued at $12,665,000 after acquiring an additional 14,399 shares during the period. Avanza Fonder AB bought a new position in Union Pacific in the 4th quarter valued at about $1,449,000. Finally, Sage Investment Advisers LLC acquired a new stake in Union Pacific during the fourth quarter worth approximately $997,000. Institutional investors own 80.38% of the company’s stock.

About Union Pacific

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.