Brokerages Set Union Pacific Co. (NYSE:UNP) Price Target at $259.35

Union Pacific Co. (NYSE:UNP) has been assigned an average recommendation of “Moderate Buy” from the twenty ratings firms that are presently covering the firm, MarketBeat.com reports. Seven equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold recommendation, twelve have issued a buy recommendation and one has issued a strong buy recommendation on the company. The average twelve-month target price among brokerages that have issued ratings on the stock in the last year is $263.30.

A number of brokerages have recently weighed in on UNP. Sanford C. Bernstein dropped their price target on Union Pacific from $277.00 to $272.00 and set an “outperform” rating for the company in a research report on Wednesday, October 9th. Royal Bank of Canada dropped their price target on Union Pacific from $288.00 to $283.00 and set an “outperform” rating for the company in a research report on Friday, October 25th. Raymond James restated a “strong-buy” rating and issued a $285.00 price target (up previously from $265.00) on shares of Union Pacific in a research report on Friday. Barclays lifted their price objective on Union Pacific from $275.00 to $285.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a research report on Wednesday, November 13th. Finally, Wells Fargo & Company dropped their price objective on Union Pacific from $267.00 to $265.00 and set an “overweight” rating for the company in a research report on Tuesday, January 7th.

Union Pacific Trading Up 2.2 %

NYSE:UNP opened at $254.19 on Thursday. The stock has a fifty day moving average price of $234.05 and a two-hundred day moving average price of $239.63. The stock has a market capitalization of $154.10 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 23.34, a PEG ratio of 2.12 and a beta of 1.06. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.79, a quick ratio of 0.63 and a current ratio of 0.77. Union Pacific has a 1 year low of $218.55 and a 1 year high of $258.66.

Union Pacific (NYSE:UNP) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, January 23rd. The railroad operator reported $2.91 earnings per share for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $2.76 by $0.15. Union Pacific had a return on equity of 41.79% and a net margin of 27.33%. During the same period in the previous year, the company earned $2.71 earnings per share. As a group, sell-side analysts anticipate that Union Pacific will post 10.96 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, December 30th. Investors of record on Monday, December 9th were issued a $1.34 dividend. The ex-dividend date was Monday, December 9th. This represents a $5.36 annualized dividend and a yield of 2.11%. Union Pacific’s dividend payout ratio is currently 48.33%.

Institutional Trading of Union Pacific

Large investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the stock. Strategic Investment Solutions Inc. IL purchased a new position in Union Pacific in the 2nd quarter valued at about $28,000. Synergy Asset Management LLC purchased a new position in Union Pacific in the 4th quarter valued at about $29,000. Catalyst Capital Advisors LLC purchased a new position in Union Pacific in the 3rd quarter valued at about $30,000. Jamison Private Wealth Management Inc. boosted its position in Union Pacific by 265.7% in the 3rd quarter. Jamison Private Wealth Management Inc. now owns 128 shares of the railroad operator’s stock valued at $32,000 after buying an additional 93 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Peterson Financial Group Inc. purchased a new position in Union Pacific in the 3rd quarter valued at about $32,000. 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.