Union Pacific Co. (NYSE:UNP) Receives Average Recommendation of “Moderate Buy” from Analysts

Shares of Union Pacific Co. (NYSE:UNP) have earned a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” from the twenty ratings firms that are presently covering the firm, MarketBeat Ratings reports. Eight analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, eleven have assigned a buy rating and one has given a strong buy rating to the company. The average 12 month price objective among brokers that have updated their coverage on the stock in the last year is $259.15.

A number of equities analysts have weighed in on UNP shares. Barclays reduced their price objective on Union Pacific from $280.00 to $275.00 and set an “overweight” rating for the company in a research note on Friday, October 25th. StockNews.com cut Union Pacific from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research report on Tuesday, October 1st. Daiwa America lowered Union Pacific from a “moderate buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research report on Wednesday, September 4th. Sanford C. Bernstein dropped their price objective on shares of Union Pacific from $277.00 to $272.00 and set an “outperform” rating on the stock in a research note on Wednesday, October 9th. Finally, Stifel Nicolaus decreased their target price on shares of Union Pacific from $265.00 to $262.00 and set a “buy” rating for the company in a research note on Friday, October 25th.

Union Pacific Price Performance

Shares of NYSE UNP opened at $241.49 on Friday. Union Pacific has a 52 week low of $208.14 and a 52 week high of $258.66. The business’s 50 day moving average price is $243.38 and its 200 day moving average price is $238.61. The company has a quick ratio of 0.63, a current ratio of 0.77 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.79. The firm has a market cap of $146.41 billion, a P/E ratio of 22.18, a P/E/G ratio of 2.46 and a beta of 1.06.

Union Pacific (NYSE:UNP) last released its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, October 24th. The railroad operator reported $2.75 earnings per share for the quarter, missing analysts’ consensus estimates of $2.78 by ($0.03). The business had revenue of $6.09 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $6.14 billion. Union Pacific had a return on equity of 41.79% and a net margin of 27.33%. The firm’s revenue was up 2.5% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter in the previous year, the company earned $2.51 EPS. On average, sell-side analysts expect that Union Pacific will post 10.94 earnings per share for the current year.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Union Pacific

A number of hedge funds have recently modified their holdings of the business. Norden Group LLC acquired a new position in shares of Union Pacific during the 1st quarter worth approximately $358,000. AIA Group Ltd boosted its stake in Union Pacific by 13.9% during the first quarter. AIA Group Ltd now owns 2,367 shares of the railroad operator’s stock worth $582,000 after buying an additional 288 shares during the last quarter. Empowered Funds LLC grew its holdings in Union Pacific by 266.7% in the 1st quarter. Empowered Funds LLC now owns 28,139 shares of the railroad operator’s stock valued at $6,920,000 after buying an additional 20,465 shares in the last quarter. Tectonic Advisors LLC increased its stake in shares of Union Pacific by 2.6% in the 1st quarter. Tectonic Advisors LLC now owns 3,310 shares of the railroad operator’s stock worth $814,000 after acquiring an additional 83 shares during the last quarter. Finally, CarsonAllaria Wealth Management Ltd. raised its holdings in shares of Union Pacific by 12.8% during the 1st quarter. CarsonAllaria Wealth Management Ltd. now owns 2,347 shares of the railroad operator’s stock worth $577,000 after acquiring an additional 266 shares during the period. 80.38% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Union Pacific Company Profile

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.