Citigroup Upgrades Union Pacific (NYSE:UNP) to “Buy”

Citigroup upgraded shares of Union Pacific (NYSE:UNP) from a neutral rating to a buy rating in a research note published on Tuesday morning, MarketBeat.com reports. The firm currently has $244.00 target price on the railroad operator’s stock, down from their previous target price of $260.00.

A number of other equities research analysts have also weighed in on UNP. Guggenheim boosted their price objective on shares of Union Pacific from $266.00 to $275.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a report on Friday, January 24th. Wells Fargo & Company cut their price objective on Union Pacific from $265.00 to $260.00 and set an “overweight” rating on the stock in a report on Thursday, March 27th. Benchmark lifted their target price on Union Pacific from $266.00 to $275.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a report on Friday, January 24th. Susquehanna cut their price target on shares of Union Pacific from $265.00 to $255.00 and set a “neutral” rating on the stock in a report on Thursday, March 27th. Finally, Raymond James restated a “strong-buy” rating and set a $285.00 price objective (up from $265.00) on shares of Union Pacific in a research note on Friday, January 24th. One research analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, six have assigned a hold rating, fourteen have issued a buy rating and one has assigned a strong buy rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat.com, Union Pacific has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $261.76.

Union Pacific Stock Down 1.0 %

Shares of UNP stock opened at $207.88 on Tuesday. The stock’s fifty day moving average price is $239.46 and its 200 day moving average price is $237.91. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.76, a current ratio of 0.77 and a quick ratio of 0.62. Union Pacific has a 1-year low of $204.66 and a 1-year high of $258.07. The company has a market cap of $124.58 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 18.74, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.15 and a beta of 1.06.

Union Pacific (NYSE:UNP) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, January 23rd. The railroad operator reported $2.91 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $2.76 by $0.15. Union Pacific had a net margin of 27.82% and a return on equity of 41.12%. During the same quarter in the prior year, the company earned $2.71 EPS. On average, research analysts expect that Union Pacific will post 11.99 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Union Pacific Dividend Announcement

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Monday, March 31st. Investors of record on Friday, February 28th were issued a $1.34 dividend. This represents a $5.36 annualized dividend and a yield of 2.58%. The ex-dividend date was Friday, February 28th. Union Pacific’s payout ratio is presently 48.33%.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other news, President Elizabeth F. Whited sold 7,500 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, January 24th. The stock was sold at an average price of $250.00, for a total value of $1,875,000.00. Following the transaction, the president now owns 64,960 shares in the company, valued at $16,240,000. This trade represents a 10.35 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available through this link. Also, EVP Craig V. Richardson sold 6,495 shares of Union Pacific stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, January 27th. The stock was sold at an average price of $252.00, for a total value of $1,636,740.00. Following the completion of the sale, the executive vice president now directly owns 26,319 shares in the company, valued at $6,632,388. This represents a 19.79 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. 0.28% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Union Pacific

A number of hedge funds have recently modified their holdings of the business. Geode Capital Management LLC raised its holdings in shares of Union Pacific by 12.6% during the 4th quarter. Geode Capital Management LLC now owns 14,430,581 shares of the railroad operator’s stock worth $3,282,305,000 after acquiring an additional 1,616,895 shares during the period. Capital Research Global Investors raised its stake in Union Pacific by 14.3% during the fourth quarter. Capital Research Global Investors now owns 10,395,364 shares of the railroad operator’s stock worth $2,370,559,000 after purchasing an additional 1,298,178 shares during the period. Norges Bank purchased a new position in Union Pacific during the fourth quarter worth about $1,927,377,000. Franklin Resources Inc. boosted its holdings in Union Pacific by 5.0% in the 4th quarter. Franklin Resources Inc. now owns 7,686,387 shares of the railroad operator’s stock valued at $1,752,804,000 after purchasing an additional 363,937 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Northern Trust Corp grew its stake in shares of Union Pacific by 15.2% in the 4th quarter. Northern Trust Corp now owns 6,962,650 shares of the railroad operator’s stock valued at $1,587,763,000 after buying an additional 920,414 shares during the period. 80.38% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

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.