Union Pacific (NYSE:UNP) Now Covered by Citigroup

Citigroup assumed coverage on shares of Union Pacific (NYSE:UNP) in a research note released on Wednesday morning, Marketbeat Ratings reports. The firm issued a neutral rating and a $264.00 target price on the railroad operator’s stock.

UNP has been the topic of a number of other reports. Daiwa America cut Union Pacific from a moderate buy rating to a hold rating in a report on Wednesday, September 4th. Susquehanna raised their price target on shares of Union Pacific from $250.00 to $260.00 and gave the company a neutral rating in a research report on Wednesday, October 2nd. Stifel Nicolaus reduced their price objective on shares of Union Pacific from $267.00 to $265.00 and set a buy rating for the company in a research report on Wednesday, July 17th. Loop Capital lowered shares of Union Pacific from a buy rating to a hold rating and decreased their price objective for the company from $276.00 to $238.00 in a research note on Monday, June 17th. Finally, TD Cowen cut their target price on Union Pacific from $259.00 to $255.00 and set a buy rating on the stock in a research note on Friday, July 26th. Nine research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, eleven have issued a buy rating and one has given a strong buy rating to the company. According to MarketBeat, Union Pacific has an average rating of Moderate Buy and a consensus target price of $259.50.

Union Pacific Stock Up 1.5 %

Union Pacific stock opened at $242.31 on Wednesday. The company has a market capitalization of $147.62 billion, a PE ratio of 22.75, a PEG ratio of 2.21 and a beta of 1.05. Union Pacific has a 12-month low of $199.97 and a 12-month high of $258.66. The firm’s fifty day moving average is $245.67 and its 200 day moving average is $238.59. 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 (NYSE:UNP) last announced its quarterly earnings data 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. Union Pacific had a net margin of 26.90% and a return on equity of 42.62%. The firm had revenue of $6.01 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $6.05 billion. During the same quarter in the prior year, the business earned $2.57 earnings per share. The business’s quarterly revenue was up .7% compared to the same quarter last year. As a group, sell-side analysts predict that Union Pacific will post 11.06 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Union Pacific Increases Dividend

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Monday, September 30th. Stockholders of record on Friday, August 30th were given a dividend of $1.34 per share. This represents a $5.36 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 2.21%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Friday, August 30th. This is an increase from Union Pacific’s previous quarterly dividend of $1.30. Union Pacific’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 50.33%.

Insider Buying and Selling

In other Union Pacific news, President Elizabeth F. Whited sold 3,552 shares of Union Pacific stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, July 30th. The shares were sold at an average price of $246.59, for a total transaction of $875,887.68. Following the completion of the sale, the president now directly owns 64,945 shares in the company, valued at $16,014,787.55. The trade was a 0.00 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available through this hyperlink. 0.28% of the stock is owned by company insiders.

Institutional Trading of Union Pacific

Hedge funds have recently made changes to their positions in the stock. Richardson Capital Management LLC bought a new stake in Union Pacific during the first quarter worth about $26,000. Raleigh Capital Management Inc. boosted its stake in Union Pacific by 211.4% in the fourth quarter. Raleigh Capital Management Inc. now owns 109 shares of the railroad operator’s stock worth $27,000 after buying an additional 74 shares in the last quarter. Cultivar Capital Inc. bought a new position in Union Pacific during the second quarter valued at approximately $27,000. Strategic Investment Solutions Inc. IL purchased a new position in shares of Union Pacific during the second quarter worth approximately $28,000. Finally, Scarborough Advisors LLC bought a new stake in shares of Union Pacific in the 4th quarter worth approximately $29,000. 80.38% of the stock is 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.