Union Pacific Corporation (NYSE:UNP) Receives Consensus Rating of "Moderate Buy" from Brokerages

Key Points

• Moderate Buy consensus from 23 brokerages (14 buy, 8 hold, 1 strong buy) with an average 12‑month price target of $267.48.
• UNP missed the most recent quarter—EPS $2.86 vs. $2.92 estimate and revenue $6.09B vs. $6.15B—and its Q1 2026 earnings release and webcast is scheduled for April 23, a potential catalyst for volatility.
• The company paid a quarterly dividend of $1.38 ($5.52 annualized, 2.2% yield); insiders own 0.22% while institutional investors hold about 80.38%, and an EVP recently sold 1,999 shares at $234.93.

Shares of Union Pacific Corporation (NYSE:UNP - Get Free Report) have been given a consensus recommendation of "Moderate Buy" by the twenty-three brokerages that are covering the company, Marketbeat Ratings reports. Eight research analysts have rated the stock with a hold recommendation, fourteen have assigned a buy recommendation and one has issued a strong buy recommendation on the company. The average 12 month price target among analysts that have issued ratings on the stock in the last year is $267.4762.

UNP has been the subject of a number of research reports. BMO Capital Markets reissued a "market perform" rating and set a $295.00 target price on shares of Union Pacific in a research report on Thursday, February 19th. Weiss Ratings raised shares of Union Pacific from a "hold (c+)" rating to a "buy (b-)" rating in a research report on Friday, February 6th. Benchmark reissued a "buy" rating and set a $275.00 target price (up from $260.00) on shares of Union Pacific in a research report on Friday. JPMorgan Chase & Co. reduced their target price on shares of Union Pacific from $270.00 to $265.00 and set a "neutral" rating for the company in a research report on Wednesday, January 28th. Finally, Susquehanna reissued a "buy" rating on shares of Union Pacific in a research report on Monday, January 19th.

Insider Buying and Selling at Union Pacific

In other news, EVP Eric J. Gehringer sold 1,999 shares of the stock in a transaction on Friday, March 20th. The stock was sold at an average price of $234.93, for a total transaction of $469,625.07. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this hyperlink. Insiders own 0.22% of the company's stock.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Several institutional investors and hedge funds have recently made changes to their positions in UNP. Tucker Asset Management LLC bought a new position in Union Pacific in the 4th quarter worth approximately $25,000. SWAN Capital LLC boosted its holdings in Union Pacific by 2,575.0% in the 4th quarter. SWAN Capital LLC now owns 107 shares of the railroad operator's stock worth $25,000 after buying an additional 103 shares during the period. Rachor Investment Advisory Services LLC bought a new position in Union Pacific in the 4th quarter worth approximately $25,000. Caitlin John LLC bought a new position in Union Pacific in the 3rd quarter worth approximately $27,000. Finally, Saranac Partners Ltd bought a new position in Union Pacific in the 3rd quarter worth about $27,000. Institutional investors own 80.38% of the company's stock.

Key Stories Impacting Union Pacific

Here are the key news stories impacting Union Pacific this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Zacks and other screens flag UNP as a top candidate to beat Q1 estimates (Earnings ESP + favorable analyst setup), which supports upside into the print. Transportation Q1 Earnings: 3 Stocks That Could Surpass Forecasts
• Positive Sentiment: Union Pacific signed a seven‑year contract with Rocky Mountain Steel Mills for U.S. rail supply — a move that strengthens domestic sourcing, supports network reliability and reduces input/supply-chain risk over the medium term. Union Pacific Rail Deal Ties Domestic Supply To Valuation Opportunity
• Neutral Sentiment: UNP officially set its Q1 2026 earnings release and webcast for April 23 — a clear catalyst date for volatility and repositioning ahead of the report. Union Pacific Corporation Announces First Quarter 2026 Earnings Release Date
• Neutral Sentiment: Street consensus expects modest earnings growth into the quarter, per Zacks previews — this raises expectations but also sets a bar investors will watch closely. Union Pacific (UNP) Reports Next Week: Wall Street Expects Earnings Growth
• Negative Sentiment: Shipper groups asked the STB to make confidential merger-agreement terms public for the proposed UP‑NS deal — higher regulatory scrutiny or disclosure could complicate the merger timeline and introduce legal/regulatory risk. Shipper groups ask STB to make key UP-NS merger agreement documents public
• Negative Sentiment: Analysts and previews note modest revenue trends and margin pressure from rising fuel/labor costs, and recent quarterly misses raise the risk that the print or guide could disappoint. Union Pacific to Report Q1 Earnings: What's in the Cards?
• Negative Sentiment: MarketWatch flagged that UNP has underperformed peers on a relative basis recently, signaling some investor caution despite intraday gains. Union Pacific Corp. stock underperforms Thursday when compared to competitors despite daily gains

Union Pacific Stock Up 0.1%

Shares of NYSE:UNP opened at $251.28 on Friday. The company has a market capitalization of $149.11 billion, a PE ratio of 20.99, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.78 and a beta of 0.96. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.64, a current ratio of 0.91 and a quick ratio of 0.75. The business has a fifty day moving average price of $251.91 and a two-hundred day moving average price of $237.50. Union Pacific has a 1 year low of $206.63 and a 1 year high of $268.14.

Union Pacific (NYSE:UNP - Get Free Report) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, January 27th. The railroad operator reported $2.86 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing analysts' consensus estimates of $2.92 by ($0.06). Union Pacific had a net margin of 29.12% and a return on equity of 40.89%. The business had revenue of $6.09 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $6.15 billion. During the same quarter last year, the company earned $2.91 EPS. The firm's revenue for the quarter was down .6% compared to the same quarter last year. Analysts forecast that Union Pacific will post 11.99 earnings per share for the current year.

Union Pacific Announces Dividend

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Tuesday, March 31st. Stockholders of record on Friday, February 27th were paid a dividend of $1.38 per share. The ex-dividend date was Friday, February 27th. This represents a $5.52 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 2.2%. Union Pacific's dividend payout ratio is presently 46.12%.

About Union Pacific

Union Pacific Corporation NYSE: UNP is one of the largest freight railroad companies in the United States. Its principal operating subsidiary, Union Pacific Railroad, has roots that trace back to the Pacific Railway Act of 1862 and the construction of the first transcontinental rail link completed in 1869. The company is headquartered in Omaha, Nebraska, and operates as a holding company for rail transportation and related services.

Union Pacific's core business is the movement of freight by rail across an extensive rail network serving the western two‑thirds of the United States.

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