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

Union Pacific Corporation (NYSE:UNP) has been assigned an average rating of “Moderate Buy” from the twenty-eight analysts that are covering the company, MarketBeat Ratings reports. Twelve equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, fifteen have given a buy rating and one has assigned a strong buy rating to the company. The average 1-year price target among analysts that have issued ratings on the stock in the last year is $259.5417.

A number of brokerages recently weighed in on UNP. Susquehanna reaffirmed a “positive” rating and set a $272.00 price objective (up previously from $257.00) on shares of Union Pacific in a research report on Thursday, September 25th. TD Cowen lowered their target price on Union Pacific from $258.00 to $257.00 and set a “buy” rating for the company in a report on Friday, October 24th. BMO Capital Markets cut their price target on Union Pacific from $277.00 to $275.00 and set an “outperform” rating on the stock in a report on Friday, October 24th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. upped their price objective on Union Pacific from $265.00 to $267.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a research note on Friday, October 24th. Finally, Loop Capital raised shares of Union Pacific from a “sell” rating to a “hold” rating and boosted their price target for the company from $214.00 to $227.00 in a report on Tuesday, September 16th.

Union Pacific Price Performance

Shares of NYSE UNP opened at $239.90 on Friday. The company has a current ratio of 0.75, a quick ratio of 0.60 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.75. The company has a market capitalization of $142.30 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 20.38, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.66 and a beta of 0.99. Union Pacific has a twelve month low of $204.66 and a twelve month high of $256.84. The business has a 50 day simple moving average of $226.39 and a 200-day simple moving average of $225.79.

Union Pacific (NYSE:UNP) last released its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, October 23rd. The railroad operator reported $3.08 EPS for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $2.99 by $0.09. Union Pacific had a net margin of 28.73% and a return on equity of 42.23%. The firm had revenue of $6.24 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $6.24 billion. During the same quarter in the previous year, the company posted $2.75 earnings per share. The firm’s revenue was up 2.5% on a year-over-year basis. As a group, equities research analysts expect that Union Pacific will post 11.99 earnings per share for the current year.

Union Pacific Announces Dividend

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, December 30th. Shareholders of record on Friday, December 5th will be paid a dividend of $1.38 per share. This represents a $5.52 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 2.3%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, December 5th. Union Pacific’s payout ratio is presently 46.90%.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Union Pacific

Hedge funds have recently made changes to their positions in the business. Saranac Partners Ltd acquired a new stake in Union Pacific in the 3rd quarter valued at approximately $27,000. IFP Advisors Inc grew its stake in shares of Union Pacific by 0.7% in the third quarter. IFP Advisors Inc now owns 15,114 shares of the railroad operator’s stock worth $3,573,000 after purchasing an additional 112 shares in the last quarter. Cambria Investment Management L.P. raised its stake in shares of Union Pacific by 92.2% during the third quarter. Cambria Investment Management L.P. now owns 3,250 shares of the railroad operator’s stock valued at $768,000 after purchasing an additional 1,559 shares in the last quarter. CIBC Bancorp USA Inc. bought a new stake in shares of Union Pacific during the third quarter valued at about $19,627,000. Finally, WBI Investments LLC acquired a new stake in Union Pacific in the third quarter worth about $1,946,000. Institutional investors own 80.38% of the company’s stock.

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.