Union Pacific (NYSE:UNP) Price Target Raised to $288.00

Union Pacific (NYSE:UNP) had its target price increased by Royal Bank of Canada from $275.00 to $288.00 in a report issued on Monday morning, Benzinga reports. They currently have an outperform rating on the railroad operator’s stock.

Several other brokerages have also issued reports on UNP. StockNews.com upgraded Union Pacific from a hold rating to a buy rating in a report on Monday, September 23rd. Evercore ISI downgraded shares of Union Pacific from an outperform rating to an inline rating and reduced their price target for the company from $254.00 to $247.00 in a research report on Wednesday, September 25th. TD Cowen lowered their price objective on shares of Union Pacific from $259.00 to $255.00 and set a buy rating on the stock in a report on Friday, July 26th. Daiwa America cut shares of Union Pacific from a moderate buy rating to a hold rating in a report on Wednesday, September 4th. Finally, Loop Capital lowered shares of Union Pacific from a buy rating to a hold rating and lowered their target price for the stock from $276.00 to $238.00 in a report on Monday, June 17th. Eight research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, eleven have given a buy rating and one has assigned a strong buy rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat.com, Union Pacific has a consensus rating of Moderate Buy and an average price target of $259.32.

Union Pacific Stock Performance

NYSE:UNP opened at $243.35 on Monday. The company has a quick ratio of 0.86, a current ratio of 1.05 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.89. Union Pacific has a twelve month low of $199.33 and a twelve month high of $258.66. The company has a fifty day moving average of $246.10 and a 200-day moving average of $238.86. The firm has a market capitalization of $148.25 billion, a P/E ratio of 23.22, a P/E/G ratio of 2.25 and a beta of 1.05.

Union Pacific (NYSE:UNP) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, July 25th. The railroad operator reported $2.74 earnings per share for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $2.71 by $0.03. The firm had revenue of $6.01 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $6.05 billion. Union Pacific had a net margin of 26.90% and a return on equity of 42.62%. The business’s revenue was up .7% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period in the previous year, the firm posted $2.57 earnings per share. As a group, sell-side analysts anticipate that Union Pacific will post 11.1 EPS for the current year.

Union Pacific Increases Dividend

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Monday, September 30th. Investors of record on Friday, August 30th were issued a $1.34 dividend. This is an increase from Union Pacific’s previous quarterly dividend of $1.30. This represents a $5.36 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 2.20%. The ex-dividend date was Friday, August 30th. Union Pacific’s payout ratio is 51.15%.

Insider Activity at Union Pacific

In other Union Pacific news, President Elizabeth F. Whited sold 3,552 shares of Union Pacific stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, July 30th. The shares were sold at an average price of $246.59, for a total value of $875,887.68. Following the sale, the president now owns 64,945 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $16,014,787.55. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is accessible through this hyperlink. 0.28% of the stock is owned by company insiders.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

A number of institutional investors have recently made changes to their positions in UNP. Capital Research Global Investors raised its stake in Union Pacific by 23.1% in 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 acquiring an additional 1,285,144 shares during the period. Marshall Wace LLP increased its stake in shares of Union Pacific by 272.3% in the second quarter. Marshall Wace LLP now owns 1,678,108 shares of the railroad operator’s stock worth $379,689,000 after purchasing an additional 1,227,318 shares in the last quarter. Capital World Investors raised its position in shares of Union Pacific by 35.3% in the first quarter. Capital World Investors now owns 4,118,477 shares of the railroad operator’s stock valued at $1,012,857,000 after purchasing an additional 1,073,625 shares during the period. Junto Capital Management LP purchased a new stake in shares of Union Pacific during the 4th quarter valued at approximately $123,297,000. Finally, Bridges Investment Management Inc. boosted its holdings in Union Pacific by 186.4% in the 2nd quarter. Bridges Investment Management Inc. now owns 704,769 shares of the railroad operator’s stock worth $159,461,000 after buying an additional 458,664 shares during the period. Hedge funds and other 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.