Union Pacific (NYSE:UNP) Shares Down 0.6% on Analyst Downgrade

Union Pacific Co. (NYSE:UNP)’s stock price fell 0.6% on Monday after BMO Capital Markets lowered their price target on the stock from $280.00 to $275.00. BMO Capital Markets currently has an outperform rating on the stock. Union Pacific traded as low as $243.11 and last traded at $243.93. 746,694 shares were traded during trading, a decline of 67% from the average session volume of 2,274,273 shares. The stock had previously closed at $245.39.

UNP has been the topic of a number of other research reports. Loop Capital cut shares of Union Pacific from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating and decreased their price objective for the company from $276.00 to $238.00 in a research report on Monday, June 17th. Benchmark restated a “buy” rating and set a $266.00 price target on shares of Union Pacific in a report on Monday, July 29th. Wells Fargo & Company assumed coverage on Union Pacific in a report on Friday, June 7th. They issued an “overweight” rating and a $270.00 price objective for the company. Daiwa America cut Union Pacific from a “moderate buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note on Wednesday, September 4th. Finally, Sanford C. Bernstein decreased their target price on Union Pacific from $290.00 to $273.00 and set an “outperform” rating for the company in a report on Monday, July 8th. Seven analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, thirteen have given a buy rating and one has given a strong buy rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $258.79.

Insider Buying and Selling at Union Pacific

In other Union Pacific news, President Elizabeth F. Whited sold 3,552 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction dated 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 directly owns 64,945 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $16,014,787.55. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at the SEC website. Company insiders own 0.28% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Union Pacific

Hedge funds have recently modified their holdings of the business. BNP Paribas bought a new stake in Union Pacific during the first quarter valued at about $1,088,000. Stifel Financial Corp grew its stake in shares of Union Pacific by 10.8% during the 4th quarter. Stifel Financial Corp now owns 2,273,959 shares of the railroad operator’s stock valued at $558,542,000 after acquiring an additional 222,318 shares during the period. Envestnet Portfolio Solutions Inc. increased its holdings in Union Pacific by 19.0% in the 1st quarter. Envestnet Portfolio Solutions Inc. now owns 126,369 shares of the railroad operator’s stock worth $31,078,000 after acquiring an additional 20,173 shares in the last quarter. M&G Plc bought a new stake in Union Pacific during the 1st quarter worth approximately $10,378,000. Finally, Focus Financial Network Inc. ADV purchased a new position in Union Pacific during the fourth quarter valued at approximately $3,298,000. Institutional investors own 80.38% of the company’s stock.

Union Pacific Trading Down 0.6 %

The stock’s 50-day simple moving average is $245.61 and its two-hundred day simple moving average is $238.95. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.89, a current ratio of 1.05 and a quick ratio of 0.86. The firm has a market capitalization of $148.87 billion, a P/E ratio of 23.28, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.24 and a beta of 1.05.

Union Pacific (NYSE:UNP) last issued its earnings results on Thursday, July 25th. The railroad operator reported $2.74 earnings per share for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $2.71 by $0.03. The company had revenue of $6.01 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $6.05 billion. Union Pacific had a net margin of 26.90% and a return on equity of 42.62%. Union Pacific’s quarterly revenue was up .7% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter in the prior year, the firm posted $2.57 EPS. Equities research analysts expect that Union Pacific Co. will post 11.11 EPS for the current year.

Union Pacific Increases Dividend

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

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.