Union Pacific (NYSE:UNP) Reaches New 1-Year High – What’s Next?

Union Pacific Corporation (NYSE:UNP)’s stock price hit a new 52-week high during trading on Tuesday . The company traded as high as $268.14 and last traded at $267.3240, with a volume of 2687467 shares changing hands. The stock had previously closed at $264.98.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

UNP has been the subject of a number of analyst reports. The Goldman Sachs Group reiterated a “neutral” rating and set a $267.00 target price on shares of Union Pacific in a research note on Tuesday, January 27th. TD Cowen decreased their price target on Union Pacific from $257.00 to $255.00 and set a “buy” rating for the company in a report on Wednesday, January 28th. BMO Capital Markets reaffirmed a “market perform” rating and set a $295.00 price objective on shares of Union Pacific in a research report on Thursday, February 19th. Barclays reiterated an “overweight” rating and issued a $285.00 price objective (up from $270.00) on shares of Union Pacific in a report on Tuesday, December 16th. Finally, Weiss Ratings upgraded Union Pacific from a “hold (c+)” rating to a “buy (b-)” rating in a research note on Friday, February 6th. One research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, thirteen have assigned a Buy rating and ten have given a Hold rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the company has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $260.14.

Union Pacific Trading Up 0.2%

The business has a 50-day moving average of $243.98 and a 200-day moving average of $232.50. The stock has a market capitalization of $158.03 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 22.25, a PEG ratio of 2.90 and a beta of 0.95. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.64, a quick ratio of 0.75 and a current ratio of 0.91.

Union Pacific (NYSE:UNP) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, January 27th. The railroad operator reported $2.86 earnings per share for the quarter, missing analysts’ consensus estimates of $2.92 by ($0.06). The firm had revenue of $6.09 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $6.15 billion. Union Pacific had a net margin of 29.12% and a return on equity of 40.89%. Union Pacific’s quarterly revenue was down .6% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter in the prior year, the firm posted $2.91 EPS. As a group, research analysts forecast that Union Pacific Corporation will post 11.99 EPS for the current year.

Union Pacific Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, March 31st. Investors of record on Friday, February 27th will be paid a dividend of $1.38 per share. The ex-dividend date is Friday, February 27th. This represents a $5.52 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 2.1%. Union Pacific’s dividend payout ratio is currently 46.12%.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Union Pacific

Institutional investors and hedge funds have recently made changes to their positions in the business. Union Bancaire Privee UBP SA lifted its position in shares of Union Pacific by 9.8% during the 3rd quarter. Union Bancaire Privee UBP SA now owns 52,849 shares of the railroad operator’s stock valued at $12,492,000 after acquiring an additional 4,707 shares during the period. Midwest Trust Co grew its holdings in shares of Union Pacific by 2.8% in the 3rd quarter. Midwest Trust Co now owns 281,036 shares of the railroad operator’s stock worth $66,428,000 after acquiring an additional 7,759 shares during the period. CX Institutional increased its stake in Union Pacific by 39.8% in the 3rd quarter. CX Institutional now owns 65,826 shares of the railroad operator’s stock valued at $15,559,000 after purchasing an additional 18,742 shares in the last quarter. Thrivent Financial for Lutherans increased its stake in Union Pacific by 15.1% in the 3rd quarter. Thrivent Financial for Lutherans now owns 135,188 shares of the railroad operator’s stock valued at $31,955,000 after purchasing an additional 17,696 shares in the last quarter. Finally, AustralianSuper Pty Ltd acquired a new position in Union Pacific during the third quarter worth $802,000. 80.38% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other 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.