Analysts Set Union Pacific Corporation (NYSE:UNP) Price Target at $279.55

Union Pacific Corporation (NYSE:UNP) has earned an average rating of “Moderate Buy” from the twenty-one analysts that are covering the company, Marketbeat Ratings reports. Eight investment analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, twelve have assigned a buy rating and one has assigned a strong buy rating to the company. The average 12 month price objective among brokers that have issued ratings on the stock in the last year is $280.4737.

Several brokerages have recently weighed in on UNP. UBS Group reiterated a “neutral” rating and set a $274.00 price objective (up from $253.00) on shares of Union Pacific in a report on Friday, April 24th. Sanford C. Bernstein upped their price objective on shares of Union Pacific from $289.00 to $293.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a report on Tuesday, March 31st. Weiss Ratings upgraded shares of Union Pacific from a “buy (b-)” rating to a “buy (b)” rating in a report on Tuesday, April 21st. The Goldman Sachs Group reiterated a “neutral” rating and set a $267.00 price objective on shares of Union Pacific in a report on Tuesday, January 27th. Finally, BMO Capital Markets reissued a “market perform” rating and issued a $285.00 price objective (up from $278.00) on shares of Union Pacific in a research note on Friday, April 24th.

Union Pacific Trading Up 0.5%

UNP opened at $270.58 on Wednesday. Union Pacific has a twelve month low of $210.84 and a twelve month high of $274.79. 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 company has a fifty day moving average of $252.29 and a 200-day moving average of $242.06. The stock has a market cap of $160.65 billion, a PE ratio of 22.29, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.86 and a beta of 0.99.

Union Pacific (NYSE:UNP) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, April 23rd. The railroad operator reported $2.93 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $2.86 by $0.07. The company had revenue of $6.22 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $6.12 billion. Union Pacific had a return on equity of 39.58% and a net margin of 29.20%.The firm’s revenue was up 3.2% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period in the previous year, the business earned $2.70 EPS. On average, sell-side analysts predict that Union Pacific will post 12.53 EPS for the current year.

Union Pacific Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, June 30th. Shareholders of record on Friday, May 29th will be issued a dividend of $1.38 per share. The ex-dividend date is Friday, May 29th. This represents a $5.52 annualized dividend and a yield of 2.0%. Union Pacific’s dividend payout ratio is presently 45.47%.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In related news, EVP Eric J. Gehringer sold 1,999 shares of the stock in a transaction on Friday, March 20th. The stock was sold at an average price of $234.93, for a total value of $469,625.07. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this hyperlink. Also, CFO Jennifer L. Hamann sold 2,000 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction dated Friday, April 24th. The stock was sold at an average price of $274.70, for a total transaction of $549,400.00. Following the transaction, the chief financial officer owned 114,642 shares in the company, valued at approximately $31,492,157.40. This trade represents a 1.71% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. In the last ninety days, insiders sold 31,386 shares of company stock valued at $8,461,716. Corporate insiders own 0.22% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Trading of Union Pacific

A number of institutional investors and hedge funds have recently modified their holdings of the business. Rachor Investment Advisory Services LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Union Pacific during the fourth quarter worth $25,000. Tucker Asset Management LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Union Pacific during the fourth quarter worth $25,000. SWAN Capital LLC lifted its position in shares of Union Pacific by 2,575.0% during the fourth quarter. SWAN Capital LLC now owns 107 shares of the railroad operator’s stock worth $25,000 after acquiring an additional 103 shares in the last quarter. High Point Wealth Management LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Union Pacific during the fourth quarter worth $26,000. Finally, Caitlin John LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Union Pacific during the third quarter worth $27,000. 80.38% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

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.