Union Pacific Co. (NYSE:UNP) Given Average Recommendation of “Moderate Buy” by Analysts

Union Pacific Co. (NYSE:UNP) has received a consensus recommendation of “Moderate Buy” from the twenty brokerages that are currently covering the stock, Marketbeat reports. Seven investment analysts have rated the stock with a hold recommendation, twelve have given a buy recommendation and one has given a strong buy recommendation to the company. The average 12 month target price among brokers that have covered the stock in the last year is $258.78.

Several equities research analysts recently commented on the stock. StockNews.com upgraded shares of Union Pacific from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a research report on Friday. Sanford C. Bernstein raised shares of Union Pacific from a “market perform” rating to an “outperform” rating and set a $280.00 target price for the company in a research note on Monday, January 22nd. JPMorgan Chase & Co. boosted their target price on shares of Union Pacific from $237.00 to $243.00 and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a research note on Tuesday, April 9th. Jefferies Financial Group assumed coverage on shares of Union Pacific in a research note on Monday, April 8th. They issued a “hold” rating and a $250.00 target price for the company. Finally, UBS Group boosted their target price on shares of Union Pacific from $235.00 to $248.00 and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a research note on Friday, January 26th.

Union Pacific Price Performance

Union Pacific stock opened at $242.79 on Tuesday. Union Pacific has a 52 week low of $190.45 and a 52 week high of $258.66. The company has a quick ratio of 0.67, a current ratio of 0.93 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.99. The firm’s 50-day simple moving average is $244.27 and its 200 day simple moving average is $235.15. The firm has a market capitalization of $148.13 billion, a PE ratio of 23.17, a P/E/G ratio of 2.63 and a beta of 1.07.

Union Pacific (NYSE:UNP) last released its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, April 25th. The railroad operator reported $2.69 EPS for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $2.50 by $0.19. Union Pacific had a net margin of 26.52% and a return on equity of 44.34%. The business had revenue of $6.03 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $5.97 billion. During the same period in the previous year, the firm earned $2.67 EPS. The business’s revenue for the quarter was down .4% compared to the same quarter last year. On average, equities research analysts predict that Union Pacific will post 11.01 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Union Pacific Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, March 29th. Investors of record on Thursday, February 29th were given a dividend of $1.30 per share. This represents a $5.20 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 2.14%. The ex-dividend date was Wednesday, February 28th. Union Pacific’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 49.62%.

Insider Buying and Selling

In related news, President Elizabeth F. Whited sold 3,750 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, February 15th. The shares were sold at an average price of $250.00, for a total transaction of $937,500.00. Following the completion of the sale, the president now owns 56,682 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $14,170,500. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through the SEC website. Corporate insiders own 0.28% of the company’s stock.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Union Pacific

A number of institutional investors and hedge funds have recently bought and sold shares of UNP. International Assets Investment Management LLC boosted its holdings in Union Pacific by 2.1% in the 3rd quarter. International Assets Investment Management LLC now owns 3,857 shares of the railroad operator’s stock worth $781,000 after acquiring an additional 78 shares during the period. Summit Global Investments boosted its holdings in Union Pacific by 17.2% in the 3rd quarter. Summit Global Investments now owns 3,482 shares of the railroad operator’s stock worth $709,000 after acquiring an additional 512 shares during the period. Douglas Lane & Associates LLC boosted its holdings in Union Pacific by 6.7% in the 3rd quarter. Douglas Lane & Associates LLC now owns 3,744 shares of the railroad operator’s stock worth $762,000 after acquiring an additional 234 shares during the period. Impact Partnership Wealth LLC boosted its holdings in Union Pacific by 285.3% in the 3rd quarter. Impact Partnership Wealth LLC now owns 420 shares of the railroad operator’s stock worth $86,000 after acquiring an additional 311 shares during the period. Finally, Fifth Third Wealth Advisors LLC purchased a new position in Union Pacific in the 3rd quarter worth approximately $402,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 80.38% of the company’s stock.

Union Pacific Company Profile

Union Pacific Corporation, through its subsidiary, Union Pacific Railroad Company, operates in the railroad business in the United States. The company offers transportation services for grain and grain products, fertilizers, food and refrigerated products, and coal and renewables to grain processors, animal feeders, ethanol producers, renewable biofuel producers, and other agricultural users; and construction products, industrial chemicals, plastics, forest products, specialized products, metals and ores, petroleum, liquid petroleum gases, soda ash, and sand, as well as finished automobiles, automotive parts, and merchandise in intermodal containers.