Union Pacific Co. (NYSE:UNP) Receives Consensus Rating of “Moderate Buy” from Brokerages

Union Pacific Co. (NYSE:UNP) has been given a consensus recommendation of “Moderate Buy” by the twenty analysts that are currently covering the company, Marketbeat reports. Eight equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold recommendation, eleven have assigned a buy recommendation and one has assigned a strong buy recommendation to the company. The average 12-month price target among brokerages that have updated their coverage on the stock in the last year is $259.80.

Several analysts have commented on UNP shares. Robert W. Baird lowered their price objective on shares of Union Pacific from $270.00 to $260.00 and set an “outperform” rating for the company in a report on Friday, October 25th. 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. Sanford C. Bernstein dropped their price target on Union Pacific from $277.00 to $272.00 and set an “outperform” rating on the stock in a research report on Wednesday, October 9th. Daiwa America downgraded Union Pacific from a “moderate buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a report on Wednesday, September 4th. Finally, Barclays raised their price objective on Union Pacific from $275.00 to $285.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a research report on Wednesday, November 13th.

Union Pacific Price Performance

UNP opened at $236.97 on Wednesday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.79, a quick ratio of 0.63 and a current ratio of 0.77. The stock has a market capitalization of $143.67 billion, a PE ratio of 21.76, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.38 and a beta of 1.05. The stock’s 50 day moving average price is $239.81 and its 200-day moving average price is $238.36. Union Pacific has a 52-week low of $218.55 and a 52-week high of $258.66.

Union Pacific (NYSE:UNP) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, October 24th. The railroad operator reported $2.75 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing analysts’ consensus estimates of $2.78 by ($0.03). Union Pacific had a net margin of 27.33% and a return on equity of 41.79%. The company had revenue of $6.09 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $6.14 billion. During the same period in the previous year, the firm posted $2.51 earnings per share. The firm’s revenue for the quarter was up 2.5% compared to the same quarter last year. On average, equities research analysts predict that Union Pacific will post 10.94 EPS for the current year.

Union Pacific Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, December 30th. Stockholders of record on Monday, December 9th will be paid a $1.34 dividend. This represents a $5.36 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 2.26%. The ex-dividend date is Monday, December 9th. Union Pacific’s dividend payout ratio is currently 49.22%.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Union Pacific

Institutional investors have recently modified their holdings of the business. Fairhaven Wealth Management LLC grew its stake in shares of Union Pacific by 1.7% in the second quarter. Fairhaven Wealth Management LLC now owns 2,581 shares of the railroad operator’s stock worth $584,000 after acquiring an additional 43 shares during the period. Chesapeake Wealth Management grew its position in Union Pacific by 0.5% in the 2nd quarter. Chesapeake Wealth Management now owns 8,202 shares of the railroad operator’s stock worth $1,856,000 after purchasing an additional 43 shares during the period. Azzad Asset Management Inc. ADV grew its position in Union Pacific by 0.5% in the 2nd quarter. Azzad Asset Management Inc. ADV now owns 8,384 shares of the railroad operator’s stock worth $1,897,000 after purchasing an additional 44 shares during the period. Montecito Bank & Trust raised its stake in Union Pacific by 0.4% during the 2nd quarter. Montecito Bank & Trust now owns 11,894 shares of the railroad operator’s stock valued at $2,691,000 after buying an additional 45 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Traveka Wealth LLC lifted its holdings in shares of Union Pacific by 3.4% during the 3rd quarter. Traveka Wealth LLC now owns 1,357 shares of the railroad operator’s stock valued at $335,000 after buying an additional 45 shares during the period. 80.38% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

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.