Union Pacific (UNP) Projected to Post Earnings on Thursday

Union Pacific (NYSE:UNP) is expected to be issuing its quarterly earnings data before the market opens on Thursday, January 23rd. Analysts expect the company to announce earnings of $2.76 per share and revenue of $6,122,150.00 billion for the quarter.

Union Pacific (NYSE:UNP) last released its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, October 24th. The railroad operator reported $2.75 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing analysts’ consensus estimates of $2.78 by ($0.03). The business had revenue of $6.09 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $6.14 billion. Union Pacific had a net margin of 27.33% and a return on equity of 41.79%. Union Pacific’s revenue for the quarter was up 2.5% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter in the prior year, the business posted $2.51 earnings per share. On average, analysts expect Union Pacific to post $11 EPS for the current fiscal year and $12 EPS for the next fiscal year.

Union Pacific Price Performance

Shares of UNP opened at $231.00 on Thursday. The company has a market cap of $140.05 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 21.21, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.33 and a beta of 1.06. Union Pacific has a twelve month low of $218.55 and a twelve month high of $258.66. 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 company has a 50 day moving average of $234.49 and a two-hundred day moving average of $238.87.

Union Pacific Dividend Announcement

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Monday, December 30th. Shareholders of record on Monday, December 9th were paid a $1.34 dividend. The ex-dividend date was Monday, December 9th. This represents a $5.36 annualized dividend and a yield of 2.32%. Union Pacific’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 49.22%.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several equities research analysts have weighed in on UNP shares. BMO Capital Markets lowered their target price on shares of Union Pacific from $280.00 to $275.00 and set an “outperform” rating for the company in a research note on Friday, September 20th. Evercore ISI cut shares of Union Pacific from an “outperform” rating to an “inline” rating and decreased their price target for the stock from $254.00 to $247.00 in a report on Wednesday, September 25th. StockNews.com cut shares of Union Pacific from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a report on Tuesday, October 1st. Sanford C. Bernstein decreased their price target on shares of Union Pacific from $277.00 to $272.00 and set an “outperform” rating for the company in a report on Wednesday, October 9th. Finally, Citigroup raised their price target on shares of Union Pacific from $255.00 to $267.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a report on Tuesday, November 12th. Nine investment analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, eleven have issued a buy rating and one has given a strong buy rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the company presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $259.80.

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.