Evercore ISI Lowers Union Pacific (NYSE:UNP) to Inline

Evercore ISI downgraded shares of Union Pacific (NYSE:UNP) from an outperform rating to an inline rating in a report released on Wednesday, MarketBeat Ratings reports. The brokerage currently has $247.00 price target on the railroad operator’s stock, down from their previous price target of $254.00.

Several other analysts have also recently commented on the company. Stifel Nicolaus reduced their target price on Union Pacific from $267.00 to $265.00 and set a buy rating on the stock in a report on Wednesday, July 17th. Daiwa America cut shares of Union Pacific from a moderate buy rating to a hold rating in a research report on Wednesday, September 4th. Benchmark restated a buy rating and issued a $266.00 target price on shares of Union Pacific in a report on Monday, July 29th. Barclays decreased their price target on Union Pacific from $290.00 to $280.00 and set an overweight rating for the company in a report on Friday, July 26th. Finally, BMO Capital Markets lowered their price objective on Union Pacific from $280.00 to $275.00 and set an outperform rating for the company in a research report on Friday, September 20th. Seven research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, twelve have assigned a buy rating and one has issued a strong buy rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat.com, Union Pacific currently has an average rating of Moderate Buy and an average target price of $258.11.

Union Pacific Trading Up 0.4 %

UNP opened at $244.15 on Wednesday. The company’s 50 day moving average price is $245.80 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $238.97. The firm has a market capitalization of $148.74 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 23.30, a PEG ratio of 2.26 and a beta of 1.05. Union Pacific has a fifty-two week low of $199.33 and a fifty-two week high of $258.66. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.89, a current ratio of 1.05 and a quick ratio of 0.86.

Union Pacific (NYSE:UNP) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, July 25th. The railroad operator reported $2.74 earnings per share for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $2.71 by $0.03. The business had revenue of $6.01 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $6.05 billion. Union Pacific had a return on equity of 42.62% and a net margin of 26.90%. Union Pacific’s quarterly revenue was up .7% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period in the prior year, the business posted $2.57 earnings per share. As a group, research analysts predict that Union Pacific will post 11.11 earnings per share for the current year.

Union Pacific Increases Dividend

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, September 30th. Investors of record on Friday, August 30th will be given a $1.34 dividend. This is a boost from Union Pacific’s previous quarterly dividend of $1.30. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, August 30th. This represents a $5.36 annualized dividend and a yield of 2.20%. Union Pacific’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 51.15%.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other news, President Elizabeth F. Whited sold 3,552 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, July 30th. The stock was sold at an average price of $246.59, for a total value of $875,887.68. Following the transaction, the president now owns 64,945 shares in the company, valued at $16,014,787.55. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through the SEC website. Corporate insiders own 0.28% of the company’s stock.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Union Pacific

Large investors have recently bought and sold shares of the stock. OLD Point Trust & Financial Services N A bought a new position in shares of Union Pacific during the fourth quarter valued at about $25,000. Richardson Capital Management LLC purchased a new position in shares of Union Pacific in the 1st quarter worth approximately $26,000. Raleigh Capital Management Inc. grew its holdings in shares of Union Pacific by 211.4% in the fourth quarter. Raleigh Capital Management Inc. now owns 109 shares of the railroad operator’s stock valued at $27,000 after acquiring an additional 74 shares in the last quarter. Cultivar Capital Inc. purchased a new stake in shares of Union Pacific during the second quarter valued at approximately $27,000. Finally, Strategic Investment Solutions Inc. IL bought a new stake in Union Pacific during the second quarter worth $28,000. 80.38% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

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.