Union Pacific (NYSE:UNP) Cut to Hold at Robert W. Baird

Key Points

• Robert W. Baird downgraded Union Pacific from “strong buy” to “hold.” Despite the downgrade, the broader analyst consensus remains “Moderate Buy,” with an average price target of $325.09.
• Union Pacific’s latest quarterly results beat estimates: earnings were $3.53 per share versus $3.47 expected, while revenue of $7.20 billion was up 15.3% year over year.
• The stock was down 3.6% in Thursday trading and opened at $297.36.

Union Pacific (NYSE:UNP - Get Free Report) was downgraded by investment analysts at Robert W. Baird from a "strong-buy" rating to a "hold" rating in a research report issued on Thursday, Zacks reports.

UNP has been the subject of several other reports. Rothschild & Co Redburn lifted their price objective on Union Pacific from $313.00 to $323.00 and gave the company a "buy" rating in a report on Tuesday, October 27th. Weiss Ratings upgraded shares of Union Pacific from a "buy (b-)" rating to a "buy (b)" rating in a report on Friday, October 9th. Stephens raised their target price on shares of Union Pacific from $340.00 to $352.00 and gave the company an "overweight" rating in a research report on Thursday, October 22nd. Susquehanna raised their target price on shares of Union Pacific from $333.00 to $345.00 and gave the company a "positive" rating in a research report on Tuesday, October 27th. Finally, Citigroup restated a "market outperform" rating on shares of Union Pacific in a report on Friday, October 23rd. One analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, nineteen have issued a Buy rating and four have given a Hold rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat, Union Pacific presently has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average target price of $325.09.

Union Pacific Trading Down 3.6%

UNP opened at $297.36 on Thursday. The stock's fifty day moving average is $287.06 and its two-hundred day moving average is $271.56. The company has a market capitalization of $176.71 billion, a P/E ratio of 23.18, a PEG ratio of 3.05 and a beta of 0.84. Union Pacific has a 52 week low of $216.32 and a 52 week high of $315.99. The company has a quick ratio of 0.99, a current ratio of 1.16 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.32.

Union Pacific (NYSE:UNP - Get Free Report) last issued its earnings results on Thursday, October 22nd. The railroad operator reported $3.53 earnings per share for the quarter, beating analysts' consensus estimates of $3.47 by $0.06. Union Pacific had a return on equity of 37.54% and a net margin of 28.90%. The business had revenue of $7.20 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $7.16 billion. During the same period in the previous year, the company posted $3.08 EPS. Union Pacific's revenue was up 15.3% on a year-over-year basis. Analysts forecast that Union Pacific will post 13.13 earnings per share for the current year.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Union Pacific

A number of hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently bought and sold shares of UNP. Eastern Bank grew its holdings in Union Pacific by 2.6% during the third quarter. Eastern Bank now owns 214,567 shares of the railroad operator's stock worth $58,390,000 after acquiring an additional 5,380 shares during the period. BNP Paribas raised its position in Union Pacific by 21.5% in the second quarter. BNP Paribas now owns 60,465 shares of the railroad operator's stock worth $16,454,000 after acquiring an additional 10,706 shares in the last quarter. QRG Capital Management Inc. raised its position in Union Pacific by 9.4% in the second quarter. QRG Capital Management Inc. now owns 102,949 shares of the railroad operator's stock worth $28,002,000 after acquiring an additional 8,842 shares in the last quarter. KBC Group NV lifted its holdings in Union Pacific by 17.7% in the second quarter. KBC Group NV now owns 108,489 shares of the railroad operator's stock valued at $29,509,000 after acquiring an additional 16,295 shares during the period. Finally, Axiom Investment Management LLC acquired a new stake in Union Pacific in the first quarter valued at $9,151,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 80.38% of the company's stock.

Union Pacific Company Profile

Union Pacific Corporation NYSE: UNP is a transportation company that operates one of the largest freight railroad networks in the United States. Through its Union Pacific Railroad subsidiary, the company moves goods across the western two-thirds of the country, connecting major agricultural, industrial, energy, population and port markets.

Union Pacific transports a broad range of commodities and products, including agricultural goods, automotive shipments, chemicals, coal, industrial products, forest products and intermodal containers.

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