Union Pacific (NYSE:UNP) Posts Earnings Results, Beats Estimates By $0.15 EPS

Union Pacific (NYSE:UNP) posted its quarterly earnings data on Thursday. The railroad operator reported $2.91 earnings per share for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $2.76 by $0.15, RTT News reports. Union Pacific had a return on equity of 41.79% and a net margin of 27.33%. During the same quarter in the previous year, the business posted $2.71 earnings per share.

Union Pacific Stock Performance

Union Pacific stock opened at $247.83 on Friday. Union Pacific has a 52-week low of $218.55 and a 52-week high of $258.66. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.79, a current ratio of 0.77 and a quick ratio of 0.63. The stock has a fifty day moving average price of $233.54 and a two-hundred day moving average price of $239.16. The firm has a market capitalization of $150.25 billion, a P/E ratio of 22.76, a P/E/G ratio of 2.12 and a beta of 1.06.

Union Pacific Announces Dividend

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Monday, December 30th. Stockholders of record on Monday, December 9th were paid a $1.34 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Monday, December 9th. This represents a $5.36 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 2.16%. Union Pacific’s dividend payout ratio is currently 49.22%.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

A number of research analysts recently weighed in on UNP shares. JPMorgan Chase & Co. dropped their price objective on Union Pacific from $263.00 to $252.00 and set a “neutral” rating on the stock in a report on Friday, October 25th. StockNews.com downgraded Union Pacific from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research report on Tuesday, October 1st. Raymond James raised their target price on shares of Union Pacific from $260.00 to $265.00 and gave the stock a “strong-buy” rating in a research report on Friday, January 10th. Stifel Nicolaus decreased their price objective on Union Pacific from $262.00 to $253.00 and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a report on Thursday, January 16th. Finally, Susquehanna dropped their target price on Union Pacific from $260.00 to $255.00 and set a “neutral” rating for the company in a research note on Friday, October 25th. Nine 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 stock. According to MarketBeat, the company currently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $259.35.

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.