Union Pacific (NYSE:UNP) Rating Increased to Buy at StockNews.com

Union Pacific (NYSE:UNP) was upgraded by stock analysts at StockNews.com from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a research report issued to clients and investors on Friday.

Other equities analysts have also recently issued research reports about the stock. Evercore ISI upped their price target on shares of Union Pacific from $271.00 to $273.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a research note on Friday. Stifel Nicolaus upped their price target on shares of Union Pacific from $231.00 to $248.00 and gave the stock a “hold” rating in a research note on Friday, April 12th. Susquehanna upped their price target on shares of Union Pacific from $255.00 to $270.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a research note on Friday. Royal Bank of Canada lowered their target price on shares of Union Pacific from $282.00 to $272.00 and set an “outperform” rating on the stock in a research note on Friday, January 26th. Finally, Jefferies Financial Group initiated coverage on shares of Union Pacific in a research note on Monday, April 8th. They set a “hold” rating and a $250.00 target price on the stock. Seven analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, thirteen have issued a buy rating and one has assigned a strong buy rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the company has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $258.78.

Union Pacific Stock Down 0.3 %

Shares of UNP stock traded down $0.71 during mid-day trading on Friday, reaching $242.84. 2,255,450 shares of the company’s stock traded hands, compared to its average volume of 2,333,368. Union Pacific has a 12 month low of $190.45 and a 12 month high of $258.66. The company has a market cap of $148.16 billion, a P/E ratio of 23.22, a P/E/G ratio of 2.51 and a beta of 1.07. The company has a quick ratio of 0.67, a current ratio of 0.81 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 2.11. The company’s 50-day moving average price is $244.27 and its 200-day moving average price is $234.95.

Union Pacific (NYSE:UNP) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, April 25th. The railroad operator reported $2.69 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $2.50 by $0.19. The company had revenue of $6.03 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $5.97 billion. Union Pacific had a net margin of 26.45% and a return on equity of 46.87%. Union Pacific’s revenue was down .4% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter in the previous year, the business posted $2.67 EPS. On average, equities analysts expect that Union Pacific will post 11.01 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

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 value of $937,500.00. Following the completion of the sale, the president now directly owns 56,682 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $14,170,500. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at this hyperlink. 0.28% of the stock is currently owned by insiders.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Union Pacific

Several hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Norges Bank purchased a new stake in Union Pacific in the 4th quarter worth approximately $1,832,127,000. Wellington Management Group LLP grew its holdings in Union Pacific by 0.3% during the 3rd quarter. Wellington Management Group LLP now owns 7,261,449 shares of the railroad operator’s stock valued at $1,478,649,000 after buying an additional 19,145 shares in the last quarter. Capital Research Global Investors grew its holdings in Union Pacific by 23.1% during the 4th quarter. Capital Research Global Investors now owns 6,851,767 shares of the railroad operator’s stock valued at $1,682,931,000 after buying an additional 1,285,144 shares in the last quarter. Northern Trust Corp grew its holdings in Union Pacific by 4.4% during the 3rd quarter. Northern Trust Corp now owns 6,803,796 shares of the railroad operator’s stock valued at $1,385,457,000 after buying an additional 285,988 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Fisher Asset Management LLC grew its holdings in Union Pacific by 2.2% during the 4th quarter. Fisher Asset Management LLC now owns 5,867,842 shares of the railroad operator’s stock valued at $1,441,260,000 after buying an additional 125,522 shares in the last quarter. 80.38% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

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.