Union Pacific (NYSE:UNP) Stock Price Up 1.6%

Union Pacific Co. (NYSE:UNP) shot up 1.6% on Friday . The stock traded as high as $247.40 and last traded at $247.12. 292,074 shares traded hands during mid-day trading, a decline of 87% from the average session volume of 2,278,865 shares. The stock had previously closed at $243.23.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

A number of brokerages have recently weighed in on UNP. Loop Capital lowered Union Pacific from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating and cut their price objective for the stock from $276.00 to $238.00 in a research report on Monday, June 17th. Sanford C. Bernstein reduced their target price on shares of Union Pacific from $290.00 to $273.00 and set an “outperform” rating on the stock in a research report on Monday, July 8th. Barclays lowered their price target on shares of Union Pacific from $290.00 to $280.00 and set an “overweight” rating for the company in a research report on Friday, July 26th. TD Cowen reduced their price objective on Union Pacific from $259.00 to $255.00 and set a “buy” rating for the company in a research report on Friday, July 26th. Finally, Wells Fargo & Company began coverage on Union Pacific in a report on Friday, June 7th. They issued an “overweight” rating and a $270.00 target price on the stock. Seven equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, twelve have given a buy rating and one has given a strong buy rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the stock presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $258.11.

Union Pacific Price Performance

The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.89, a quick ratio of 0.86 and a current ratio of 1.05. The firm has a fifty day simple moving average of $245.77 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $239.01. The firm has a market cap of $149.08 billion, a PE ratio of 23.42, a PEG ratio of 2.26 and a beta of 1.05.

Union Pacific (NYSE:UNP) last announced its earnings results on Thursday, July 25th. The railroad operator reported $2.74 EPS for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $2.71 by $0.03. The firm had revenue of $6.01 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $6.05 billion. Union Pacific had a return on equity of 42.62% and a net margin of 26.90%. The company’s quarterly revenue was up .7% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter in the previous year, the business earned $2.57 EPS. Equities analysts predict that Union Pacific Co. will post 11.11 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Union Pacific Increases Dividend

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, September 30th. Stockholders of record on Friday, August 30th will be given a dividend of $1.34 per share. This is an increase from Union Pacific’s previous quarterly dividend of $1.30. The ex-dividend date is Friday, August 30th. This represents a $5.36 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 2.19%. Union Pacific’s dividend payout ratio is presently 51.15%.

Insider Buying and Selling at Union Pacific

In other news, President Elizabeth F. Whited sold 3,552 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction on Tuesday, July 30th. The stock was sold at an average price of $246.59, for a total transaction of $875,887.68. Following the transaction, the president now directly 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 the SEC website. Insiders own 0.28% of the company’s stock.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Union Pacific

A number of institutional investors have recently modified their holdings of the stock. OLD Point Trust & Financial Services N A purchased a new position in shares of Union Pacific during the 4th quarter valued at approximately $25,000. Richardson Capital Management LLC acquired a new stake in Union Pacific during the first quarter valued at $26,000. Raleigh Capital Management Inc. increased its holdings in Union Pacific by 211.4% in the fourth quarter. Raleigh Capital Management Inc. now owns 109 shares of the railroad operator’s stock valued at $27,000 after buying an additional 74 shares in the last quarter. Strategic Investment Solutions Inc. IL acquired a new position in shares of Union Pacific in the second quarter worth about $28,000. Finally, Scarborough Advisors LLC acquired a new position in shares of Union Pacific in the fourth quarter worth about $29,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 80.38% of the company’s stock.

Union Pacific Company Profile

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.