Union Pacific (NYSE:UNP) Stock Rating Lowered by StockNews.com

StockNews.com lowered shares of Union Pacific (NYSE:UNP) from a buy rating to a hold rating in a research report released on Tuesday morning.

Several other research analysts have also recently weighed in on UNP. Stifel Nicolaus decreased their target price on Union Pacific from $267.00 to $265.00 and set a buy rating for the company in a research note on Wednesday, July 17th. Evercore ISI cut shares of Union Pacific from an outperform rating to an inline rating and lowered their price objective for the stock from $254.00 to $247.00 in a research note on Wednesday, September 25th. BMO Capital Markets cut their target price on shares of Union Pacific from $280.00 to $275.00 and set an outperform rating for the company in a research note on Friday, September 20th. Royal Bank of Canada lifted their price target on shares of Union Pacific from $275.00 to $288.00 and gave the stock an outperform rating in a research report on Monday, September 30th. Finally, Loop Capital downgraded Union Pacific from a buy rating to a hold rating and cut their price objective for the company from $276.00 to $238.00 in a research report on Monday, June 17th. Eight research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, eleven have assigned a buy rating and one has issued a strong buy rating to the company. According to MarketBeat, Union Pacific presently has an average rating of Moderate Buy and a consensus price target of $259.32.

Union Pacific Price Performance

NYSE UNP opened at $238.86 on Tuesday. The company has a 50-day moving average price of $246.18 and a two-hundred day moving average price of $238.83. The stock has a market cap of $145.51 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 22.79, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.24 and a beta of 1.05. The company has a current ratio of 1.05, a quick ratio of 0.86 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.89. Union Pacific has a 52 week low of $199.33 and a 52 week high of $258.66.

Union Pacific (NYSE:UNP) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, July 25th. The railroad operator reported $2.74 EPS for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $2.71 by $0.03. The company had revenue of $6.01 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $6.05 billion. Union Pacific had a return on equity of 42.62% and a net margin of 26.90%. The company’s quarterly revenue was up .7% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period last year, the company earned $2.57 earnings per share. Analysts forecast that Union Pacific will post 11.1 EPS for the current year.

Union Pacific Increases Dividend

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Monday, September 30th. Stockholders of record on Friday, August 30th were paid a dividend of $1.34 per share. This represents a $5.36 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 2.24%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Friday, August 30th. This is an increase from Union Pacific’s previous quarterly dividend of $1.30. Union Pacific’s dividend payout ratio is 51.15%.

Insider Buying and Selling

In other news, President Elizabeth F. Whited sold 3,552 shares of Union Pacific 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 transaction, the president now owns 64,945 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $16,014,787.55. This trade represents a 0.00 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. Corporate insiders own 0.28% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Union Pacific

Several hedge funds have recently modified their holdings of UNP. Ameriprise Financial Inc. lifted its position in shares of Union Pacific by 1.3% in the 2nd 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 period. Capital Research Global Investors lifted its position in Union Pacific by 7.6% in the first 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 period. Legal & General Group Plc boosted its stake in 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 buying an additional 124,571 shares in the last quarter. Fisher Asset Management LLC increased its holdings in Union Pacific by 2.0% in the 4th 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 period. Finally, Clearbridge Investments LLC increased its holdings in Union Pacific by 5.7% in the 1st 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 during the period. 80.38% of the stock is owned by 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.