The Goldman Sachs Group Boosts Union Pacific (NYSE:UNP) Price Target to $274.00

Union Pacific (NYSE:UNP) had its price target lifted by The Goldman Sachs Group from $248.00 to $274.00 in a research report sent to investors on Thursday, Benzinga reports. They currently have a buy rating on the railroad operator’s stock.

Several other research analysts have also recently weighed in on the company. UBS Group boosted their price objective on Union Pacific from $235.00 to $248.00 and gave the stock a neutral rating in a research report on Friday, January 26th. Raymond James boosted their target price on Union Pacific from $240.00 to $275.00 and gave the company a strong-buy rating in a research note on Tuesday, January 16th. TD Cowen boosted their target price on Union Pacific from $228.00 to $251.00 and gave the company an outperform rating in a research note on Friday, January 26th. Jefferies Financial Group initiated coverage on Union Pacific in a research note on Monday, April 8th. They issued a hold rating and a $250.00 target price on the stock. Finally, Benchmark boosted their target price on Union Pacific from $260.00 to $266.00 and gave the company a buy rating in a research note on Wednesday. Eight equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, thirteen have assigned a buy rating and one has assigned a strong buy rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat, Union Pacific currently has an average rating of Moderate Buy and an average price target of $253.48.

Union Pacific Stock Down 0.7 %

UNP stock opened at $234.40 on Thursday. The stock’s fifty day simple moving average is $247.04 and its two-hundred day simple moving average is $232.96. The company has a current ratio of 0.81, a quick ratio of 0.67 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 2.11. Union Pacific has a 1-year low of $190.37 and a 1-year high of $258.66. The stock has a market cap of $143.01 billion, a P/E ratio of 22.41, a P/E/G ratio of 2.56 and a beta of 1.07.

Union Pacific (NYSE:UNP) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, January 25th. The railroad operator reported $2.71 earnings per share for the quarter, topping 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 business had revenue of $6.16 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $6.05 billion. During the same quarter in the previous year, the firm earned $2.67 earnings per share. The business’s revenue was down .3% on a year-over-year basis. Analysts expect that Union Pacific will post 10.98 EPS for the current year.

Union Pacific Announces Dividend

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

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other Union Pacific news, President Elizabeth F. Whited sold 3,750 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction dated Thursday, February 15th. The stock was sold at an average price of $250.00, for a total value of $937,500.00. Following the transaction, the president now directly owns 56,682 shares in the company, valued at approximately $14,170,500. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this hyperlink. Corporate insiders own 0.28% of the company’s stock.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Union Pacific

A number of hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently modified their holdings of UNP. BluePath Capital Management LLC purchased a new position in shares of Union Pacific in the 3rd quarter worth about $25,000. OLD Point Trust & Financial Services N A purchased a new position in shares of Union Pacific in the 4th quarter worth about $25,000. Raleigh Capital Management Inc. boosted its holdings in shares of Union Pacific by 211.4% in the 4th quarter. Raleigh Capital Management Inc. now owns 109 shares of the railroad operator’s stock worth $27,000 after purchasing an additional 74 shares in the last quarter. Valued Wealth Advisors LLC purchased a new position in shares of Union Pacific in the 4th quarter worth about $28,000. Finally, Scarborough Advisors LLC purchased a new position in shares of Union Pacific in the 4th quarter worth about $29,000. 80.38% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other 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.