Union Pacific (NYSE:UNP) Sets New 52-Week High – Here’s Why

Union Pacific Corporation (NYSE:UNP) hit a new 52-week high on Wednesday . The stock traded as high as $285.79 and last traded at $283.0680, with a volume of 2024904 shares. The stock had previously closed at $282.59.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several analysts recently weighed in on UNP shares. TD Cowen raised their target price on shares of Union Pacific from $256.00 to $282.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a report on Friday, April 24th. Citigroup restated a “buy” rating and issued a $307.00 price objective (up from $285.00) on shares of Union Pacific in a report on Friday, April 24th. BMO Capital Markets reaffirmed a “market perform” rating and set a $285.00 price objective (up from $278.00) on shares of Union Pacific in a research report on Friday, April 24th. Susquehanna reiterated a “positive” rating and set a $305.00 target price on shares of Union Pacific in a research note on Friday, June 5th. Finally, Wells Fargo & Company reissued an “overweight” rating and issued a $300.00 target price (up from $260.00) on shares of Union Pacific in a report on Friday, April 24th. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, twelve have given a Buy rating and seven have issued a Hold rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $286.89.

Union Pacific Trading Up 0.2%

The company has a fifty day moving average of $268.18 and a two-hundred day moving average of $253.01. The company has a quick ratio of 0.73, a current ratio of 0.92 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.53. The stock has a market capitalization of $168.06 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 23.32, a P/E/G ratio of 2.97 and a beta of 0.96.

Union Pacific (NYSE:UNP) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, April 23rd. The railroad operator reported $2.93 earnings per share for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $2.86 by $0.07. Union Pacific had a return on equity of 39.58% and a net margin of 29.20%.The company had revenue of $6.22 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $6.12 billion. During the same quarter in the previous year, the company earned $2.70 EPS. The firm’s revenue for the quarter was up 3.2% compared to the same quarter last year. On average, research analysts expect that Union Pacific Corporation will post 12.55 EPS for the current year.

Union Pacific Announces Dividend

The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Tuesday, June 30th. Investors of record on Friday, May 29th were paid a $1.38 dividend. This represents a $5.52 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 2.0%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Friday, May 29th. Union Pacific’s dividend payout ratio is presently 45.47%.

Insider Activity

In other Union Pacific news, CFO Jennifer L. Hamann sold 2,000 shares of the stock in a transaction on Friday, April 24th. The stock was sold at an average price of $274.70, for a total transaction of $549,400.00. Following the sale, the chief financial officer owned 114,642 shares in the company, valued at approximately $31,492,157.40. This represents a 1.71% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this link. Also, EVP Eric J. Gehringer sold 2,991 shares of the stock in a transaction on Wednesday, June 3rd. The shares were sold at an average price of $263.96, for a total value of $789,504.36. Following the sale, the executive vice president directly owned 43,012 shares in the company, valued at approximately $11,353,447.52. The trade was a 6.50% decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. Insiders have sold 32,378 shares of company stock worth $8,781,595 over the last ninety days. 0.22% of the stock is currently owned by insiders.

Institutional Trading of Union Pacific

A number of hedge funds have recently added to or reduced their stakes in UNP. Armstrong Henry H Associates Inc. grew its holdings in Union Pacific by 2.9% in the second quarter. Armstrong Henry H Associates Inc. now owns 68,701 shares of the railroad operator’s stock valued at $18,687,000 after purchasing an additional 1,909 shares during the period. Westmount Partners LLC boosted its holdings in shares of Union Pacific by 21.8% in the 2nd quarter. Westmount Partners LLC now owns 2,817 shares of the railroad operator’s stock valued at $766,000 after purchasing an additional 504 shares during the last quarter. 55 North Private Wealth LLC grew its stake in shares of Union Pacific by 26.9% during the 2nd quarter. 55 North Private Wealth LLC now owns 1,803 shares of the railroad operator’s stock valued at $490,000 after buying an additional 382 shares during the period. Evanson Financial LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Union Pacific during the 2nd quarter valued at $657,000. Finally, Foster Group Inc. increased its holdings in shares of Union Pacific by 8.0% during the 2nd quarter. Foster Group Inc. now owns 1,805 shares of the railroad operator’s stock worth $491,000 after buying an additional 134 shares during the last quarter. 80.38% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

About Union Pacific

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.