Union Pacific (NYSE:UNP) Price Target Raised to $248.00

Union Pacific (NYSE:UNP) had its target price hoisted by Stifel Nicolaus from $231.00 to $248.00 in a research note issued to investors on Friday morning, Benzinga reports. They currently have a hold rating on the railroad operator’s stock.

A number of other research firms also recently issued reports on UNP. Royal Bank of Canada lowered their target price on Union Pacific from $282.00 to $272.00 and set an outperform rating on the stock in a research report on Friday, January 26th. Susquehanna upped their target price on Union Pacific from $245.00 to $255.00 and gave the company a neutral rating in a research report on Thursday, March 28th. UBS Group upped their target price on Union Pacific from $235.00 to $248.00 and gave the company a neutral rating in a research report on Friday, January 26th. StockNews.com downgraded Union Pacific from a buy rating to a hold rating in a research report on Monday, March 18th. Finally, JPMorgan Chase & Co. upped their target price on Union Pacific from $237.00 to $243.00 and gave the company a neutral rating in a research report on Tuesday, April 9th. Eight equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, thirteen have given a buy rating and one has assigned a strong buy rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat, Union Pacific currently has an average rating of Moderate Buy and a consensus price target of $253.48.

Union Pacific Stock Performance

Shares of Union Pacific stock opened at $234.40 on Friday. The firm has a market cap of $143.01 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 22.41, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.54 and a beta of 1.07. The stock’s 50-day moving average is $247.04 and its 200-day moving average is $233.18. Union Pacific has a one year low of $190.37 and a one year high of $258.66. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 2.11, a current ratio of 0.81 and a quick ratio of 0.67.

Union Pacific (NYSE:UNP) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, January 25th. The railroad operator reported $2.71 EPS for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $2.56 by $0.15. The company had revenue of $6.16 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $6.05 billion. Union Pacific had a return on equity of 46.87% and a net margin of 26.45%. The company’s quarterly revenue was down .3% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period in the previous year, the company posted $2.67 earnings per share. Equities analysts predict that Union Pacific will post 11 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Union Pacific Announces Dividend

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, March 29th. Stockholders of record on Thursday, February 29th were paid a $1.30 dividend. This represents a $5.20 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 2.22%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Wednesday, February 28th. Union Pacific’s payout ratio is 49.71%.

Insider Activity

In related news, President Elizabeth F. Whited sold 3,750 shares of the stock in a transaction on Thursday, February 15th. The stock was sold at an average price of $250.00, for a total value of $937,500.00. Following the completion of the sale, the president now directly owns 56,682 shares in the company, valued at $14,170,500. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through the SEC website. 0.28% of the stock is owned by corporate insiders.

Institutional Trading of Union Pacific

A number of institutional investors and hedge funds have recently bought and sold shares of the stock. Moneta Group Investment Advisors LLC grew its holdings in Union Pacific by 90,390.6% during the 4th quarter. Moneta Group Investment Advisors LLC now owns 13,697,556 shares of the railroad operator’s stock worth $2,836,353,000 after acquiring an additional 13,682,419 shares during the period. Norges Bank bought a new position in shares of Union Pacific during the 4th quarter worth about $1,832,127,000. Clearbridge Investments LLC boosted its position in shares of Union Pacific by 108.9% during the 3rd quarter. Clearbridge Investments LLC now owns 4,128,575 shares of the railroad operator’s stock worth $840,702,000 after purchasing an additional 2,151,893 shares in the last quarter. FMR LLC boosted its position in shares of Union Pacific by 62.8% during the 3rd quarter. FMR LLC now owns 5,496,708 shares of the railroad operator’s stock worth $1,119,295,000 after purchasing an additional 2,119,382 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Arrowstreet Capital Limited Partnership lifted its position in Union Pacific by 638.3% in the 1st quarter. Arrowstreet Capital Limited Partnership now owns 2,014,327 shares of the railroad operator’s stock valued at $550,334,000 after acquiring an additional 1,741,490 shares in the last quarter. 80.38% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

About Union Pacific

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.