Union Pacific (NYSE:UNP) Lowered to Inline at Evercore ISI

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

Several other equities research analysts also recently weighed in on UNP. BMO Capital Markets reduced their target price on shares of Union Pacific from $280.00 to $275.00 and set an outperform rating on the stock in a research note on Friday, September 20th. Loop Capital lowered shares of Union Pacific from a buy rating to a hold rating and reduced their price objective for the stock from $276.00 to $238.00 in a research report on Monday, June 17th. Daiwa America lowered Union Pacific from a moderate buy rating to a hold rating in a research report on Wednesday, September 4th. Susquehanna reduced their price target on Union Pacific from $270.00 to $250.00 and set a neutral rating on the stock in a report on Tuesday, June 25th. Finally, Stifel Nicolaus dropped their price objective on Union Pacific from $267.00 to $265.00 and set a buy rating for the company in a report on Wednesday, July 17th. Seven analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, twelve have issued a buy rating and one has assigned a strong buy rating to the company’s stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, Union Pacific has a consensus rating of Moderate Buy and a consensus target price of $258.11.

Union Pacific Stock Down 1.4 %

Shares of NYSE:UNP opened at $245.56 on Wednesday. The company has a 50-day moving average price of $245.73 and a 200 day moving average price of $238.94. The company has a current ratio of 1.05, a quick ratio of 0.86 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.89. Union Pacific has a 12 month low of $199.33 and a 12 month high of $258.66. The company has a market cap of $149.82 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 23.43, a PEG ratio of 2.22 and a beta of 1.05.

Union Pacific (NYSE:UNP) last released its earnings results on Thursday, July 25th. The railroad operator reported $2.74 earnings per share for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $2.71 by $0.03. Union Pacific had a return on equity of 42.62% and a net margin of 26.90%. The firm had revenue of $6.01 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $6.05 billion. During the same quarter in the previous year, the company posted $2.57 EPS. The company’s revenue for the quarter was up .7% compared to the same quarter last year. As a group, equities 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 disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, September 30th. Investors of record on Friday, August 30th will be paid a $1.34 dividend. This is an increase 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 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 2.18%. Union Pacific’s payout ratio is 51.15%.

Insider Buying and Selling at Union Pacific

In other news, President Elizabeth F. Whited sold 3,552 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction 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 completion of the transaction, the president now directly owns 64,945 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $16,014,787.55. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available at this hyperlink. Insiders own 0.28% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Union Pacific

A number of hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the business. OLD Point Trust & Financial Services N A purchased a new position in shares of Union Pacific in the 4th quarter valued at approximately $25,000. Richardson Capital Management LLC acquired a new position in Union Pacific during the 1st quarter valued at approximately $26,000. Raleigh Capital Management Inc. increased its stake in Union Pacific by 211.4% during the 4th quarter. Raleigh Capital Management Inc. now owns 109 shares of the railroad operator’s stock valued at $27,000 after purchasing an additional 74 shares in the last quarter. Cultivar Capital Inc. purchased a new position in shares of Union Pacific in the second quarter worth $27,000. Finally, Strategic Investment Solutions Inc. IL acquired a new stake in shares of Union Pacific during the second quarter worth $28,000. 80.38% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other 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.