Union Pacific (NYSE:UNP) Price Target Raised to $293.00

Union Pacific (NYSE:UNP) had its price target raised by Sanford C. Bernstein from $289.00 to $293.00 in a report released on Tuesday,Benzinga reports. Sanford C. Bernstein currently has an outperform rating on the railroad operator’s stock.

A number of other equities research analysts have also recently issued reports on UNP. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft set a $245.00 target price on shares of Union Pacific in a report on Thursday, December 11th. Royal Bank Of Canada set a $280.00 price target on shares of Union Pacific in a research note on Thursday, December 18th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. cut their price target 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. The Goldman Sachs Group reaffirmed a “neutral” rating and set a $267.00 price objective on shares of Union Pacific in a research note on Tuesday, January 27th. Finally, TD Cowen decreased their price objective on Union Pacific from $257.00 to $255.00 and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a report on Wednesday, January 28th. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, fifteen have assigned a Buy rating and eight have issued a Hold rating to the company’s stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the company presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $265.18.

Union Pacific Stock Up 0.6%

Shares of UNP opened at $244.57 on Tuesday. The firm has a market cap of $145.12 billion, a P/E ratio of 20.43, a P/E/G ratio of 2.68 and a beta of 0.96. The stock has a 50 day simple moving average of $249.49 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $235.67. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.64, a current ratio of 0.91 and a quick ratio of 0.75. Union Pacific has a 1 year low of $204.66 and a 1 year high of $268.14.

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

Union Pacific Announces Dividend

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Tuesday, March 31st. Investors of record on Friday, February 27th were paid a $1.38 dividend. This represents a $5.52 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 2.3%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Friday, February 27th. Union Pacific’s payout ratio is presently 46.12%.

Insider Buying and Selling

In other Union Pacific news, EVP Eric J. Gehringer sold 1,999 shares of the stock in a transaction on Friday, March 20th. The shares were sold at an average price of $234.93, for a total transaction of $469,625.07. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at this hyperlink. 0.28% of the stock is owned by corporate insiders.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Union Pacific

Several hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently modified their holdings of UNP. Capital World Investors increased its holdings in Union Pacific by 92.1% during the 4th quarter. Capital World Investors now owns 20,136,349 shares of the railroad operator’s stock valued at $4,658,142,000 after purchasing an additional 9,655,306 shares during the period. Norges Bank purchased a new stake in Union Pacific in the 4th quarter worth approximately $1,779,907,000. Capital Research Global Investors grew its position in shares of Union Pacific by 95.0% in the 3rd quarter. Capital Research Global Investors now owns 8,713,196 shares of the railroad operator’s stock worth $2,059,538,000 after buying an additional 4,244,226 shares during the last quarter. UBS AM A Distinct Business Unit of UBS Asset Management Americas LLC grew its position in shares of Union Pacific by 72.7% in the 3rd quarter. UBS AM A Distinct Business Unit of UBS Asset Management Americas LLC now owns 9,177,002 shares of the railroad operator’s stock worth $2,169,168,000 after buying an additional 3,861,636 shares during the last quarter. Finally, EdgePoint Investment Group Inc. purchased a new position in shares of Union Pacific during the third quarter valued at approximately $408,592,000. 80.38% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

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.