StockNews.com Downgrades Union Pacific (NYSE:UNP) to Hold

Union Pacific (NYSE:UNP) was downgraded by investment analysts at StockNews.com from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research report issued to clients and investors on Tuesday.

Other equities analysts have also issued reports about the stock. TD Cowen lowered their price target on shares of Union Pacific from $259.00 to $255.00 and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a research report on Friday, July 26th. Barclays lowered their target price on Union Pacific from $290.00 to $280.00 and set an “overweight” rating on the stock in a report on Friday, July 26th. Bank of America cut their price target on Union Pacific from $273.00 to $270.00 and set a “buy” rating for the company in a report on Tuesday, September 24th. Sanford C. Bernstein reduced their price objective on Union Pacific from $290.00 to $273.00 and set an “outperform” rating on the stock in a research report on Monday, July 8th. Finally, Loop Capital downgraded Union Pacific from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating and cut their target price for the stock from $276.00 to $238.00 in a research note on Monday, June 17th. Eight analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, eleven have assigned a buy rating and one has assigned a strong buy rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat, the company has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $258.79.

Union Pacific Stock Performance

NYSE:UNP opened at $246.48 on Tuesday. The company has a fifty day moving average of $245.87 and a two-hundred day moving average of $238.82. Union Pacific has a fifty-two week low of $199.33 and a fifty-two week high of $258.66. The stock has a market capitalization of $150.16 billion, a PE ratio of 23.52, a P/E/G ratio of 2.25 and a beta of 1.05. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.89, a quick ratio of 0.86 and a current ratio of 1.05.

Union Pacific (NYSE:UNP) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, July 25th. The railroad operator reported $2.74 EPS for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate 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 firm’s revenue for the quarter was up .7% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period in the previous year, the business earned $2.57 earnings per share. As a group, research analysts forecast that Union Pacific will post 11.1 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Insider Activity at Union Pacific

In other Union Pacific news, President Elizabeth F. Whited sold 3,552 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, July 30th. The shares were sold at an average price of $246.59, for a total value of $875,887.68. Following the completion of the transaction, the president now owns 64,945 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $16,014,787.55. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this link. Company insiders own 0.28% of the company’s stock.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Union Pacific

A number of institutional investors and hedge funds have recently made changes to their positions in the stock. Ameriprise Financial Inc. lifted its stake in Union Pacific by 1.3% in the second quarter. Ameriprise Financial Inc. now owns 8,312,154 shares of the railroad operator’s stock worth $1,880,701,000 after acquiring an additional 106,996 shares during the last quarter. Capital Research Global Investors lifted its position in shares of Union Pacific by 7.6% during the 1st quarter. Capital Research Global Investors now owns 7,370,752 shares of the railroad operator’s stock worth $1,812,689,000 after purchasing an additional 518,985 shares during the last quarter. Legal & General Group Plc grew its stake in shares of Union Pacific by 2.1% during the second quarter. Legal & General Group Plc now owns 5,970,669 shares of the railroad operator’s stock worth $1,350,924,000 after purchasing an additional 124,571 shares in the last quarter. Fisher Asset Management LLC increased its holdings in Union Pacific by 2.0% in the fourth quarter. Fisher Asset Management LLC now owns 5,856,266 shares of the railroad operator’s stock valued at $1,438,417,000 after buying an additional 113,946 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Clearbridge Investments LLC raised its stake in Union Pacific by 5.7% in the first quarter. Clearbridge Investments LLC now owns 4,396,974 shares of the railroad operator’s stock valued at $1,081,348,000 after buying an additional 237,083 shares in the last quarter. 80.38% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

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.