Union Pacific (NYSE:UNP) Given New $285.00 Price Target at Citigroup

Union Pacific (NYSE:UNP) had its price target increased by Citigroup from $270.00 to $285.00 in a research report sent to investors on Tuesday,Benzinga reports. Citigroup currently has a buy rating on the railroad operator’s stock.

A number of other analysts also recently issued reports on UNP. JPMorgan Chase & Co. reduced their price target on shares of Union Pacific from $270.00 to $265.00 and set a “neutral” rating on the stock in a report on Wednesday, January 28th. Weiss Ratings upgraded shares of Union Pacific from a “hold (c+)” rating to a “buy (b-)” rating in a report on Friday, February 6th. BMO Capital Markets reaffirmed a “market perform” rating and issued a $295.00 price objective on shares of Union Pacific in a research note on Thursday, February 19th. The Goldman Sachs Group reaffirmed a “neutral” rating and issued a $267.00 price objective on shares of Union Pacific in a research note on Tuesday, January 27th. Finally, Royal Bank Of Canada set a $280.00 price objective on Union Pacific in a research note on Thursday, December 18th. One analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, fifteen have given a Buy rating and eight have given a Hold rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat, the stock has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $265.86.

Union Pacific Stock Up 0.1%

Shares of UNP opened at $245.90 on Tuesday. The business’s 50 day moving average is $250.34 and its 200 day moving average is $236.49. The company has a market capitalization of $145.91 billion, a PE ratio of 20.54, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.70 and a beta of 0.96. Union Pacific has a 12-month low of $204.66 and a 12-month high of $268.14. The company has a current ratio of 0.91, a quick ratio of 0.75 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.64.

Union Pacific (NYSE:UNP) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, January 27th. The railroad operator reported $2.86 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing analysts’ consensus estimates of $2.92 by ($0.06). The company had revenue of $6.09 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $6.15 billion. Union Pacific had a net margin of 29.12% and a return on equity of 40.89%. The business’s revenue was down .6% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter in the prior year, the firm posted $2.91 earnings per share. Research analysts expect that Union Pacific will post 11.99 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Union Pacific Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Tuesday, March 31st. Stockholders of record on Friday, February 27th were issued a $1.38 dividend. The ex-dividend date was Friday, February 27th. This represents a $5.52 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 2.2%. Union Pacific’s payout ratio is 46.12%.

Insider Buying and Selling at Union Pacific

In other news, EVP Eric J. Gehringer sold 1,999 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction dated Friday, March 20th. The shares were sold at an average price of $234.93, for a total value of $469,625.07. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available through the SEC website. 0.28% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Union Pacific

Several large investors have recently modified their holdings of the stock. Vanguard Group Inc. increased its position in shares of Union Pacific by 1.1% during the 4th quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 59,329,262 shares of the railroad operator’s stock valued at $13,724,045,000 after purchasing an additional 659,378 shares during the last quarter. State Street Corp increased its position in shares of Union Pacific by 4.3% during the 4th quarter. State Street Corp now owns 26,330,080 shares of the railroad operator’s stock valued at $6,090,674,000 after purchasing an additional 1,082,285 shares during the last quarter. Capital World Investors grew its holdings in Union Pacific by 92.1% during the 4th quarter. Capital World Investors now owns 20,136,349 shares of the railroad operator’s stock valued at $4,658,142,000 after purchasing an additional 9,655,306 shares during the last quarter. Geode Capital Management LLC grew its holdings in Union Pacific by 2.0% during the 4th quarter. Geode Capital Management LLC now owns 15,360,668 shares of the railroad operator’s stock valued at $3,552,550,000 after purchasing an additional 296,814 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Morgan Stanley grew its holdings in Union Pacific by 5.0% during the 4th quarter. Morgan Stanley now owns 12,636,050 shares of the railroad operator’s stock valued at $2,922,971,000 after purchasing an additional 602,647 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors own 80.38% of the company’s stock.

About Union Pacific

Union Pacific Corporation (NYSE: UNP) is one of the largest freight railroad companies in the United States. Its principal operating subsidiary, Union Pacific Railroad, has roots that trace back to the Pacific Railway Act of 1862 and the construction of the first transcontinental rail link completed in 1869. The company is headquartered in Omaha, Nebraska, and operates as a holding company for rail transportation and related services.

Union Pacific’s core business is the movement of freight by rail across an extensive rail network serving the western two‑thirds of the United States.