Union Pacific (NYSE:UNP) Price Target Raised to $270.00

Union Pacific (NYSE:UNP) had its target price boosted by Stifel Nicolaus from $253.00 to $270.00 in a research report released on Friday morning,Benzinga reports. Stifel Nicolaus currently has a buy rating on the railroad operator’s stock.

Several other equities research analysts have also issued reports on UNP. Citigroup lifted their price objective on shares of Union Pacific from $254.00 to $260.00 and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a research note on Friday. StockNews.com cut Union Pacific from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research report on Tuesday, October 1st. Robert W. Baird increased their price objective on Union Pacific from $260.00 to $265.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a report on Friday. Susquehanna reduced their target price on Union Pacific from $260.00 to $255.00 and set a “neutral” rating for the company in a report on Friday, October 25th. Finally, Royal Bank of Canada decreased their target price on Union Pacific from $288.00 to $283.00 and set an “outperform” rating for the company in a research report on Friday, October 25th. Nine research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, twelve have assigned a buy rating and one has given a strong buy rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $262.57.

Union Pacific Stock Performance

Shares of UNP stock opened at $248.94 on Friday. Union Pacific has a fifty-two week low of $218.55 and a fifty-two week high of $258.66. The stock’s 50-day moving average is $233.78 and its two-hundred day moving average is $239.22. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.79, a current ratio of 0.77 and a quick ratio of 0.63. The firm has a market cap of $150.92 billion, a P/E ratio of 22.86, a PEG ratio of 2.12 and a beta of 1.06.

Union Pacific (NYSE:UNP) last released its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, January 23rd. The railroad operator reported $2.91 EPS for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $2.76 by $0.15. Union Pacific had a return on equity of 41.79% and a net margin of 27.33%. During the same period in the prior year, the company earned $2.71 EPS. Analysts predict that Union Pacific will post 10.96 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Union Pacific Announces Dividend

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Monday, December 30th. Shareholders of record on Monday, December 9th were given a $1.34 dividend. The ex-dividend date was Monday, December 9th. This represents a $5.36 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 2.15%. Union Pacific’s dividend payout ratio is currently 49.22%.

Institutional Trading of Union Pacific

A number of institutional investors and hedge funds have recently modified their holdings of UNP. International Assets Investment Management LLC boosted its stake in Union Pacific by 19,878.6% during the third quarter. International Assets Investment Management LLC now owns 896,040 shares of the railroad operator’s stock worth $220,856,000 after buying an additional 891,555 shares in the last quarter. Franklin Resources Inc. lifted its holdings in shares of Union Pacific by 9.3% during the 3rd quarter. Franklin Resources Inc. now owns 7,322,450 shares of the railroad operator’s stock worth $1,795,993,000 after acquiring an additional 625,492 shares during the period. Impax Asset Management Group plc boosted its position in shares of Union Pacific by 2,025.4% during the 3rd quarter. Impax Asset Management Group plc now owns 546,236 shares of the railroad operator’s stock valued at $134,636,000 after acquiring an additional 520,536 shares in the last quarter. Jennison Associates LLC increased its stake in Union Pacific by 170.9% in the third quarter. Jennison Associates LLC now owns 736,246 shares of the railroad operator’s stock valued at $181,470,000 after acquiring an additional 464,477 shares during the period. Finally, Assenagon Asset Management S.A. raised its position in Union Pacific by 35.8% in the fourth quarter. Assenagon Asset Management S.A. now owns 1,226,100 shares of the railroad operator’s stock worth $279,600,000 after purchasing an additional 323,525 shares in the last quarter. 80.38% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

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.