Union Pacific (NYSE:UNP) Earns Strong-Buy Rating from Raymond James

Raymond James reissued their strong-buy rating on shares of Union Pacific (NYSE:UNP) in a research note released on Friday, Benzinga reports. Raymond James currently has a $280.00 price objective on the railroad operator’s stock, up from their previous price objective of $275.00.

UNP has been the topic of several other research reports. Susquehanna raised their price target on Union Pacific from $255.00 to $270.00 and gave the company a neutral rating in a report on Friday. BMO Capital Markets increased their target price on Union Pacific from $270.00 to $275.00 and gave the company an outperform rating in a research note on Friday, January 26th. Evercore ISI increased their target price on Union Pacific from $271.00 to $273.00 and gave the company an outperform rating in a research note on Friday. StockNews.com lowered Union Pacific from a buy rating to a hold rating in a research note on Monday, March 18th. Finally, Royal Bank of Canada cut their target price on Union Pacific from $282.00 to $272.00 and set an outperform rating on the stock in a research note on Friday, January 26th. Seven 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 company’s stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, Union Pacific presently has a consensus rating of Moderate Buy and an average target price of $258.78.

Union Pacific Price Performance

Union Pacific stock opened at $242.79 on Friday. The business’s 50-day simple moving average is $244.27 and its 200 day simple moving average is $235.33. The stock has a market cap of $148.13 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 23.17, a P/E/G ratio of 2.62 and a beta of 1.07. Union Pacific has a 12-month low of $190.45 and a 12-month high of $258.66. The company has a quick ratio of 0.67, a current ratio of 0.93 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.99.

Union Pacific (NYSE:UNP) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, April 25th. The railroad operator reported $2.69 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $2.50 by $0.19. The business had revenue of $6.03 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $5.97 billion. Union Pacific had a return on equity of 44.34% and a net margin of 26.52%. The firm’s quarterly revenue was down .4% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter last year, the business earned $2.67 earnings per share. As a group, research analysts anticipate that Union Pacific will post 11.08 earnings per share for the current year.

Union Pacific Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, March 29th. Stockholders of record on Thursday, February 29th were given a dividend of $1.30 per share. This represents a $5.20 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 2.14%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Wednesday, February 28th. Union Pacific’s dividend payout ratio is currently 49.62%.

Insider Activity at Union Pacific

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

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Union Pacific

Hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently bought and sold shares of the company. Desjardins Global Asset Management Inc. boosted its holdings in shares of Union Pacific by 1.4% in the fourth quarter. Desjardins Global Asset Management Inc. now owns 3,000 shares of the railroad operator’s stock worth $737,000 after acquiring an additional 41 shares during the period. Twin Capital Management Inc. boosted its holdings in shares of Union Pacific by 3.0% in the fourth quarter. Twin Capital Management Inc. now owns 1,394 shares of the railroad operator’s stock worth $342,000 after acquiring an additional 41 shares during the period. Sunburst Financial Group LLC raised its position in shares of Union Pacific by 1.8% in the fourth quarter. Sunburst Financial Group LLC now owns 2,393 shares of the railroad operator’s stock worth $588,000 after buying an additional 42 shares in the last quarter. Mission Wealth Management LP raised its position in shares of Union Pacific by 0.5% in the fourth quarter. Mission Wealth Management LP now owns 7,838 shares of the railroad operator’s stock worth $1,925,000 after buying an additional 42 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Berkeley Capital Partners LLC raised its position in shares of Union Pacific by 1.0% in the fourth quarter. Berkeley Capital Partners LLC now owns 4,100 shares of the railroad operator’s stock worth $1,007,000 after buying an additional 42 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds 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.