Union Pacific (NYSE:UNP) Rating Increased to Buy at StockNews.com

Union Pacific (NYSE:UNP) was upgraded by analysts at StockNews.com from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a note issued to investors on Monday.

UNP has been the topic of a number of other research reports. Barclays decreased their price target on Union Pacific from $290.00 to $280.00 and set an “overweight” rating on the stock in a research report on Friday, July 26th. Susquehanna decreased their target price on Union Pacific from $270.00 to $250.00 and set a “neutral” rating on the stock in a research report on Tuesday, June 25th. Daiwa America cut Union Pacific from a “moderate buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research report on Wednesday, September 4th. Sanford C. Bernstein decreased their target price on Union Pacific from $290.00 to $273.00 and set an “outperform” rating on the stock in a research report on Monday, July 8th. Finally, Wells Fargo & Company began coverage on Union Pacific in a research report on Friday, June 7th. They issued an “overweight” rating and a $270.00 target price on the stock. Seven equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, thirteen have given a buy rating and one has given a strong buy rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat, Union Pacific presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $259.47.

Union Pacific Trading Up 2.0 %

Shares of Union Pacific stock opened at $248.95 on Monday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.89, a current ratio of 1.05 and a quick ratio of 0.86. The company has a market capitalization of $151.89 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 23.75, a P/E/G ratio of 2.24 and a beta of 1.05. The business has a fifty day simple moving average of $245.73 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $238.94. Union Pacific has a 1 year low of $199.33 and a 1 year high of $258.66.

Union Pacific (NYSE:UNP) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, July 25th. The railroad operator reported $2.74 earnings per share for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $2.71 by $0.03. The firm had revenue of $6.01 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations 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 quarter last year, the business earned $2.57 EPS. Research analysts forecast that Union Pacific will post 11.11 EPS for the current year.

Insider Activity

In other news, President Elizabeth F. Whited sold 3,552 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, July 30th. The stock was sold at an average price of $246.59, for a total transaction of $875,887.68. Following the completion of the sale, the president now owns 64,945 shares in the company, valued at $16,014,787.55. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available at this hyperlink. Corporate insiders own 0.28% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Union Pacific

Several institutional investors have recently bought and sold shares of the stock. Capital Research Global Investors boosted its position in Union Pacific by 23.1% in the fourth 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 during the last quarter. Marshall Wace LLP boosted its position in Union Pacific by 272.3% in the second quarter. Marshall Wace LLP now owns 1,678,108 shares of the railroad operator’s stock worth $379,689,000 after purchasing an additional 1,227,318 shares during the last quarter. Winslow Capital Management LLC purchased a new position in Union Pacific in the fourth quarter worth $293,162,000. Capital World Investors boosted its position in Union Pacific by 35.3% in the first quarter. Capital World Investors now owns 4,118,477 shares of the railroad operator’s stock worth $1,012,857,000 after purchasing an additional 1,073,625 shares during the last quarter. Finally, TD Asset Management Inc boosted its position in Union Pacific by 115.3% in the fourth quarter. TD Asset Management Inc now owns 1,070,123 shares of the railroad operator’s stock worth $262,844,000 after purchasing an additional 573,072 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors own 80.38% of the company’s stock.

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.