Union Pacific (NYSE:UNP) Given New $248.00 Price Target at Stifel Nicolaus

Union Pacific (NYSE:UNP) had its price target boosted by Stifel Nicolaus from $231.00 to $248.00 in a research report released on Friday, Benzinga reports. Stifel Nicolaus currently has a hold rating on the railroad operator’s stock.

A number of other analysts have also issued reports on the company. JPMorgan Chase & Co. lifted their target price on Union Pacific from $237.00 to $243.00 and gave the stock a neutral rating in a research report on Tuesday. Benchmark lifted their target price on Union Pacific from $260.00 to $266.00 and gave the stock a buy rating in a research report on Wednesday. The Goldman Sachs Group lifted their target price on Union Pacific from $248.00 to $274.00 and gave the stock a buy rating in a research report on Thursday. Jefferies Financial Group started coverage on Union Pacific in a research report on Monday, April 8th. They set a hold rating and a $250.00 target price on the stock. Finally, UBS Group lifted their target price on Union Pacific from $235.00 to $248.00 and gave the stock a neutral rating in a research report on Friday, January 26th. Eight equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, thirteen have issued a buy rating and one has assigned a strong buy rating to the company’s stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the company has an average rating of Moderate Buy and a consensus price target of $253.48.

Union Pacific Trading Down 0.7 %

NYSE:UNP opened at $234.46 on Friday. The business’s 50-day moving average is $247.04 and its two-hundred day moving average is $232.77. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 2.11, a current ratio of 0.81 and a quick ratio of 0.67. Union Pacific has a 12 month low of $190.37 and a 12 month high of $258.66. The firm has a market capitalization of $143.04 billion, a PE ratio of 22.41, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.56 and a beta of 1.07.

Union Pacific (NYSE:UNP) last released its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, January 25th. The railroad operator reported $2.71 EPS for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $2.56 by $0.15. Union Pacific had a return on equity of 46.87% and a net margin of 26.45%. The company had revenue of $6.16 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $6.05 billion. During the same period last year, the company posted $2.67 earnings per share. The firm’s revenue was down .3% compared to the same quarter last year. Research analysts predict that Union Pacific will post 10.98 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Union Pacific Dividend Announcement

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, March 29th. Investors of record on Thursday, February 29th were issued a dividend of $1.30 per share. The ex-dividend date was Wednesday, February 28th. This represents a $5.20 annualized dividend and a yield of 2.22%. Union Pacific’s payout ratio is 49.71%.

Insider Buying and Selling

In related news, President Elizabeth F. Whited sold 3,750 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, February 15th. The stock was sold at an average price of $250.00, for a total transaction of $937,500.00. Following the sale, the president now owns 56,682 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $14,170,500. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available through the SEC website. 0.28% of the stock is owned by corporate insiders.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Several institutional investors have recently modified their holdings of the stock. Moneta Group Investment Advisors LLC increased its holdings in shares of Union Pacific by 90,390.6% in the fourth quarter. Moneta Group Investment Advisors LLC now owns 13,697,556 shares of the railroad operator’s stock valued at $2,836,353,000 after buying an additional 13,682,419 shares in the last quarter. Morgan Stanley increased its holdings in shares of Union Pacific by 10.9% in the fourth quarter. Morgan Stanley now owns 8,983,932 shares of the railroad operator’s stock valued at $1,860,303,000 after buying an additional 883,963 shares in the last quarter. Norges Bank bought a new position in shares of Union Pacific in the fourth quarter valued at $1,832,127,000. Wellington Management Group LLP increased its holdings in shares of Union Pacific by 0.3% in the third quarter. Wellington Management Group LLP now owns 7,261,449 shares of the railroad operator’s stock valued at $1,478,649,000 after buying an additional 19,145 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Capital Research Global Investors grew its position in Union Pacific by 23.1% during the 4th quarter. Capital Research Global Investors now owns 6,851,767 shares of the railroad operator’s stock worth $1,682,931,000 after purchasing an additional 1,285,144 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors own 80.38% of the company’s stock.

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.