Union Pacific Corporation (NYSE:UNP) Receives $258.21 Consensus Target Price from Analysts

Key Points

• Union Pacific Corporation has received a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" from analysts, with 14 buy ratings, 10 hold ratings, and 1 sell rating among a total of 26 analysts.
• The company reported earnings of $3.03 per share for the last quarter, exceeding analysts' expectations of $2.84, and a revenue increase of 2.4% year-over-year.
• Union Pacific has announced an increase in its quarterly dividend to $1.38 per share, reflecting a 2.5% dividend yield and a dividend payout ratio of 47.96%.

Union Pacific Corporation (NYSE:UNP - Get Free Report) has been given a consensus recommendation of "Moderate Buy" by the twenty-six research firms that are currently covering the stock, Marketbeat Ratings reports. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a sell recommendation, ten have given a hold recommendation, fourteen have given a buy recommendation and one has issued a strong buy recommendation on the company. The average twelve-month target price among brokers that have issued ratings on the stock in the last year is $258.2083.

Several research firms have recently weighed in on UNP. Wells Fargo & Company lifted their target price on shares of Union Pacific from $250.00 to $260.00 and gave the company an "overweight" rating in a report on Friday, July 25th. Sanford C. Bernstein boosted their price target on shares of Union Pacific from $271.00 to $286.00 and gave the stock an "outperform" rating in a report on Monday, July 21st. Evercore ISI cut their price target on shares of Union Pacific from $244.00 to $238.00 and set an "in-line" rating for the company in a report on Friday, July 25th. Barclays lowered shares of Union Pacific from an "overweight" rating to an "equal weight" rating in a report on Wednesday, July 30th. Finally, Citigroup lowered shares of Union Pacific from a "strong-buy" rating to a "hold" rating and cut their price target for the stock from $270.00 to $250.00 in a report on Wednesday, July 30th.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Union Pacific

A number of large investors have recently modified their holdings of the business. Pines Wealth Management LLC grew its holdings in shares of Union Pacific by 1.7% during the second quarter. Pines Wealth Management LLC now owns 2,520 shares of the railroad operator's stock worth $595,000 after buying an additional 43 shares in the last quarter. Titleist Asset Management LLC grew its holdings in shares of Union Pacific by 1.1% during the first quarter. Titleist Asset Management LLC now owns 4,004 shares of the railroad operator's stock worth $946,000 after buying an additional 44 shares in the last quarter. Five Oceans Advisors grew its holdings in shares of Union Pacific by 3.9% during the second quarter. Five Oceans Advisors now owns 1,183 shares of the railroad operator's stock worth $272,000 after buying an additional 44 shares in the last quarter. St. Johns Investment Management Company LLC grew its holdings in shares of Union Pacific by 1.6% during the second quarter. St. Johns Investment Management Company LLC now owns 3,012 shares of the railroad operator's stock worth $693,000 after buying an additional 46 shares in the last quarter. Finally, First Financial Bank Trust Division increased its stake in shares of Union Pacific by 1.7% in the 1st quarter. First Financial Bank Trust Division now owns 2,803 shares of the railroad operator's stock worth $662,000 after acquiring an additional 47 shares during the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 80.38% of the company's stock.

Union Pacific Stock Performance

Shares of NYSE:UNP traded down $1.16 during trading on Friday, hitting $216.10. 1,884,454 shares of the stock traded hands, compared to its average volume of 3,442,564. The company has a quick ratio of 0.53, a current ratio of 0.65 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.86. The company has a market cap of $128.16 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 18.78, a P/E/G ratio of 2.14 and a beta of 1.03. The company has a fifty day moving average price of $226.14 and a two-hundred day moving average price of $226.61. Union Pacific has a 52-week low of $204.66 and a 52-week high of $256.84.

Union Pacific (NYSE:UNP - Get Free Report) last posted its earnings results on Thursday, July 24th. The railroad operator reported $3.03 earnings per share for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $2.84 by $0.19. The firm had revenue of $6.15 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $6.09 billion. Union Pacific had a net margin of 28.43% and a return on equity of 41.73%. The business's quarterly revenue was up 2.4% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period in the previous year, the firm earned $2.74 EPS. As a group, equities analysts predict that Union Pacific will post 11.99 EPS for the current year.

Union Pacific Increases Dividend

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, September 30th. Investors of record on Friday, August 29th will be issued a $1.38 dividend. This represents a $5.52 annualized dividend and a yield of 2.6%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, August 29th. This is a boost from Union Pacific's previous quarterly dividend of $1.34. Union Pacific's payout ratio is presently 47.96%.

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.