Union Pacific (NYSE:UNP) Coverage Initiated by Analysts at Citizens Jmp

Key Points

• Citizens JMP initiated coverage on Union Pacific with a market outperform rating and a $350 price target, implying about 21% upside from the stock’s current price.
• Other analysts remain generally positive: Union Pacific has a Moderate Buy consensus rating and an average price target of $297.79, with several firms recently raising or reaffirming bullish ratings.
• The company recently reported better-than-expected quarterly results, posting $2.93 EPS and $6.22 billion in revenue, both above estimates, while insiders also sold shares during the period.

Equities research analysts at Citizens Jmp started coverage on shares of Union Pacific (NYSE:UNP - Get Free Report) in a report released on Wednesday,Benzinga reports. The firm set a "market outperform" rating and a $350.00 price target on the railroad operator's stock. Citizens Jmp's target price suggests a potential upside of 21.34% from the company's current price.

Several other equities research analysts have also weighed in on UNP. Benchmark raised their price objective on Union Pacific from $275.00 to $300.00 and gave the stock a "buy" rating in a research note on Friday, April 24th. Raymond James Financial reaffirmed a "strong-buy" rating on shares of Union Pacific in a report on Monday. Weiss Ratings lowered Union Pacific from a "buy (b)" rating to a "buy (b-)" rating in a research report on Tuesday, June 23rd. Evercore reissued an "outperform" rating and issued a $294.00 price target on shares of Union Pacific in a research note on Thursday, June 25th. Finally, UBS Group restated a "neutral" rating and set a $274.00 price objective (up from $253.00) on shares of Union Pacific in a report on Friday, April 24th. Two investment analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, thirteen have given a Buy rating and seven have assigned a Hold rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, Union Pacific presently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus price target of $297.79.

Union Pacific Price Performance

Shares of NYSE UNP opened at $288.44 on Wednesday. Union Pacific has a twelve month low of $210.84 and a twelve month high of $291.66. The company has a current ratio of 0.92, a quick ratio of 0.73 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.53. The firm has a 50-day moving average of $270.10 and a two-hundred day moving average of $254.84. The company has a market capitalization of $171.25 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 23.76, a PEG ratio of 3.03 and a beta of 0.96.

Union Pacific (NYSE:UNP - Get Free Report) last released its earnings results on Thursday, April 23rd. The railroad operator reported $2.93 EPS for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $2.86 by $0.07. The business had revenue of $6.22 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $6.12 billion. Union Pacific had a net margin of 29.20% and a return on equity of 39.58%. The business's quarterly revenue was up 3.2% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period in the prior year, the business earned $2.70 earnings per share. As a group, analysts expect that Union Pacific will post 12.59 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Insider Buying and Selling

In related news, EVP Kenyatta G. Rocker sold 27,387 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, April 24th. The shares were sold at an average price of $271.76, for a total transaction of $7,442,691.12. Following the completion of the sale, the executive vice president directly owned 61,102 shares in the company, valued at approximately $16,605,079.52. This trade represents a 30.95% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which can be accessed through the SEC website. Also, CFO Jennifer L. Hamann sold 2,000 shares of the company's stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, April 24th. The shares were sold at an average price of $274.70, for a total transaction of $549,400.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief financial officer owned 114,642 shares in the company, valued at approximately $31,492,157.40. This represents a 1.71% decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. Over the last three months, insiders sold 32,378 shares of company stock worth $8,781,595. 0.22% of the stock is owned by company insiders.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Union Pacific

Institutional investors have recently modified their holdings of the stock. Rachor Investment Advisory Services LLC purchased a new position in Union Pacific in the fourth quarter valued at about $25,000. Tucker Asset Management LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Union Pacific during the 4th quarter worth about $25,000. SWAN Capital LLC lifted its holdings in shares of Union Pacific by 2,575.0% during the 4th quarter. SWAN Capital LLC now owns 107 shares of the railroad operator's stock valued at $25,000 after buying an additional 103 shares during the last quarter. High Point Wealth Management LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Union Pacific during the 4th quarter valued at about $26,000. Finally, Saranac Partners Ltd bought a new stake in shares of Union Pacific in the 3rd quarter valued at approximately $27,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 80.38% of the company's stock.

Union Pacific Company Profile

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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