Brokerages Set Union Pacific Co. (NYSE:UNP) Price Target at $259.15

Union Pacific Co. (NYSE:UNP) has been given a consensus recommendation of “Moderate Buy” by the twenty ratings firms that are presently covering the stock, MarketBeat.com reports. Eight equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, eleven have issued a buy rating and one has issued a strong buy rating on the company. The average 12-month price objective among brokerages that have issued a report on the stock in the last year is $259.80.

UNP has been the subject of several research analyst reports. Stifel Nicolaus cut their price objective on Union Pacific from $265.00 to $262.00 and set a “buy” rating for the company in a research report on Friday, October 25th. Wells Fargo & Company lowered their price target on Union Pacific from $270.00 to $255.00 and set an “overweight” rating on the stock in a research note on Friday, October 25th. Daiwa America lowered Union Pacific from a “moderate buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note on Wednesday, September 4th. Raymond James upped their price objective on Union Pacific from $265.00 to $275.00 and gave the company a “strong-buy” rating in a research note on Monday, October 14th. Finally, Royal Bank of Canada lowered their price objective on Union Pacific from $288.00 to $283.00 and set an “outperform” rating on the stock in a research note on Friday, October 25th.

Union Pacific Price Performance

Shares of NYSE:UNP opened at $235.57 on Friday. Union Pacific has a fifty-two week low of $216.79 and a fifty-two week high of $258.66. The business has a 50-day moving average of $242.14 and a two-hundred day moving average of $238.62. The stock has a market capitalization of $142.82 billion, a P/E ratio of 21.63, a P/E/G ratio of 2.38 and a beta of 1.06. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.79, a current ratio of 0.77 and a quick ratio of 0.63.

Union Pacific (NYSE:UNP) last announced its quarterly earnings results 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). Union Pacific had a return on equity of 41.79% and a net margin of 27.33%. The company had revenue of $6.09 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $6.14 billion. During the same period in the prior year, the firm earned $2.51 EPS. Union Pacific’s quarterly revenue was up 2.5% on a year-over-year basis. On average, equities research analysts predict that Union Pacific will post 10.94 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Union Pacific

Several institutional investors have recently made changes to their positions in the stock. Forum Financial Management LP grew its position in Union Pacific by 0.6% in the 1st quarter. Forum Financial Management LP now owns 7,037 shares of the railroad operator’s stock worth $1,731,000 after purchasing an additional 41 shares in the last quarter. Fairhaven Wealth Management LLC increased its stake in Union Pacific by 1.7% in the 2nd quarter. Fairhaven Wealth Management LLC now owns 2,581 shares of the railroad operator’s stock valued at $584,000 after buying an additional 43 shares during the last quarter. Chesapeake Wealth Management increased its stake in Union Pacific by 0.5% in the 2nd quarter. Chesapeake Wealth Management now owns 8,202 shares of the railroad operator’s stock valued at $1,856,000 after buying an additional 43 shares during the last quarter. Fortis Capital Advisors LLC increased its stake in Union Pacific by 5.0% in the 1st quarter. Fortis Capital Advisors LLC now owns 916 shares of the railroad operator’s stock valued at $225,000 after buying an additional 44 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Azzad Asset Management Inc. ADV increased its stake in Union Pacific by 0.5% in the 2nd quarter. Azzad Asset Management Inc. ADV now owns 8,384 shares of the railroad operator’s stock valued at $1,897,000 after buying an additional 44 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 80.38% of the company’s stock.

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.