Union Pacific (NYSE:UNP) Price Target Raised to $304.00 at JPMorgan Chase & Co.

Key Points

• JPMorgan Chase & Co. raised its price target on Union Pacific from $275 to $304 while keeping a neutral rating, implying about 5.4% upside from the prior close.
• Other analysts remain mostly constructive on the stock: Wells Fargo and Barclays both set targets of $315, while MarketBeat data shows a Moderate Buy consensus and an average target price of $290.39.
• Union Pacific shares were up 1.2% to $288.42, and the company recently beat quarterly earnings expectations with $2.93 EPS versus $2.86 expected on revenue of $6.22 billion.

Union Pacific (NYSE:UNP - Get Free Report) had its price objective raised by research analysts at JPMorgan Chase & Co. from $275.00 to $304.00 in a note issued to investors on Friday,Benzinga reports. The brokerage presently has a "neutral" rating on the railroad operator's stock. JPMorgan Chase & Co.'s price objective suggests a potential upside of 5.40% from the stock's previous close.

Several other equities research analysts also recently weighed in on UNP. Wells Fargo & Company increased their price objective on Union Pacific from $300.00 to $315.00 and gave the company an "overweight" rating in a report on Wednesday. Barclays reiterated an "overweight" rating and set a $315.00 price target (up from $285.00) on shares of Union Pacific in a research note on Friday, April 24th. Susquehanna reissued a "positive" rating and set a $305.00 price objective on shares of Union Pacific in a research report on Friday, June 5th. Weiss Ratings lowered shares of Union Pacific from a "buy (b)" rating to a "buy (b-)" rating in a research note on Tuesday, June 23rd. Finally, BMO Capital Markets reaffirmed a "market perform" rating and issued a $285.00 target price (up from $278.00) on shares of Union Pacific in a report on Friday, April 24th. Two investment analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, twelve have assigned a Buy rating and seven have assigned a Hold rating to the company's stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, Union Pacific currently has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average target price of $290.39.

Union Pacific Stock Up 1.2%

NYSE:UNP traded up $3.38 during midday trading on Friday, reaching $288.42. The company had a trading volume of 262,518 shares, compared to its average volume of 3,135,819. The stock's fifty day simple moving average is $268.77 and its 200-day simple moving average is $253.70. The company has a current ratio of 0.92, a quick ratio of 0.73 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.53. Union Pacific has a 12-month low of $210.84 and a 12-month high of $288.00. The firm has a market capitalization of $171.24 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 23.74, a PEG ratio of 2.95 and a beta of 0.96.

Union Pacific (NYSE:UNP - Get Free Report) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, April 23rd. The railroad operator reported $2.93 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $2.86 by $0.07. Union Pacific had a return on equity of 39.58% and a net margin of 29.20%.The business had revenue of $6.22 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $6.12 billion. During the same quarter last year, the business posted $2.70 EPS. The business's quarterly revenue was up 3.2% compared to the same quarter last year. On average, sell-side analysts anticipate that Union Pacific will post 12.56 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Insider Buying and Selling at Union Pacific

In other news, EVP Kenyatta G. Rocker sold 27,387 shares of the business'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 value of $7,442,691.12. Following the completion of the transaction, the executive vice president owned 61,102 shares of the company's stock, valued at $16,605,079.52. The trade was a 30.95% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available at the SEC website. Also, EVP Eric J. Gehringer sold 2,991 shares of the company's stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, June 3rd. The shares were sold at an average price of $263.96, for a total transaction of $789,504.36. Following the transaction, the executive vice president directly owned 43,012 shares in the company, valued at $11,353,447.52. The trade was a 6.50% decrease in their position. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. Insiders have sold 32,378 shares of company stock valued at $8,781,595 over the last quarter. Corporate insiders own 0.22% of the company's stock.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

A number of hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in UNP. Key Financial Inc raised its position in shares of Union Pacific by 2.1% in the 1st quarter. Key Financial Inc now owns 1,821 shares of the railroad operator's stock valued at $442,000 after purchasing an additional 38 shares in the last quarter. Members Trust Co raised its holdings in Union Pacific by 2.5% in the first quarter. Members Trust Co now owns 1,573 shares of the railroad operator's stock valued at $382,000 after acquiring an additional 38 shares in the last quarter. EJMK Ventures LLC raised its holdings in Union Pacific by 4.0% in the first quarter. EJMK Ventures LLC now owns 1,016 shares of the railroad operator's stock valued at $247,000 after acquiring an additional 39 shares in the last quarter. Wealthquest Corp boosted its stake in Union Pacific by 3.7% during the 1st quarter. Wealthquest Corp now owns 1,108 shares of the railroad operator's stock valued at $269,000 after acquiring an additional 40 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Thurston Springer Miller Herd & Titak Inc. grew its holdings in Union Pacific by 5.3% during the 2nd quarter. Thurston Springer Miller Herd & Titak Inc. now owns 791 shares of the railroad operator's stock worth $215,000 after acquiring an additional 40 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 80.38% of the company's stock.

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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