Stifel Nicolaus Boosts Union Pacific (NYSE:UNP) Price Target to $248.00

Union Pacific (NYSE:UNP) had its price objective increased by Stifel Nicolaus from $231.00 to $248.00 in a research note published on Friday morning, Benzinga reports. Stifel Nicolaus currently has a hold rating on the railroad operator’s stock.

Other equities research analysts have also recently issued reports about the company. The Goldman Sachs Group lifted their target price on Union Pacific from $248.00 to $274.00 and gave the stock a buy rating in a research note on Thursday, April 11th. Susquehanna lifted their target price on Union Pacific from $245.00 to $255.00 and gave the stock a neutral rating in a research note on Thursday, March 28th. Raymond James lifted their target price on Union Pacific from $240.00 to $275.00 and gave the stock a strong-buy rating in a research note on Tuesday, January 16th. Jefferies Financial Group assumed coverage on Union Pacific in a research note on Monday, April 8th. They set a hold rating and a $250.00 target price on the stock. Finally, Benchmark lifted their target price on Union Pacific from $260.00 to $266.00 and gave the stock a buy rating in a research note on Wednesday, April 10th. Eight equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, thirteen have assigned a buy rating and one has given a strong buy rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat.com, Union Pacific currently has a consensus rating of Moderate Buy and an average target price of $253.48.

Union Pacific Price Performance

Shares of NYSE:UNP opened at $233.94 on Friday. The company has a current ratio of 0.81, a quick ratio of 0.67 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 2.11. The stock’s fifty day simple moving average is $246.79 and its two-hundred day simple moving average is $233.39. Union Pacific has a 1-year low of $190.37 and a 1-year high of $258.66. The stock has a market cap of $142.73 billion, a PE ratio of 22.37, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.54 and a beta of 1.07.

Union Pacific (NYSE:UNP) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, January 25th. The railroad operator reported $2.71 earnings per share for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $2.56 by $0.15. Union Pacific had a return on equity of 46.87% and a net margin of 26.45%. The business had revenue of $6.16 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $6.05 billion. During the same period last year, the business earned $2.67 EPS. The business’s revenue was down .3% on a year-over-year basis. As a group, analysts forecast that Union Pacific will post 11 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Union Pacific Announces Dividend

The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, March 29th. Stockholders of record on Thursday, February 29th were issued a dividend of $1.30 per share. This represents a $5.20 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 2.22%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Wednesday, February 28th. Union Pacific’s payout ratio is 49.71%.

Insider Transactions at Union Pacific

In other news, President Elizabeth F. Whited sold 3,750 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction dated Thursday, February 15th. The stock was sold at an average price of $250.00, for a total transaction of $937,500.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the president now owns 56,682 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $14,170,500. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through the SEC website. 0.26% of the stock is owned by insiders.

Institutional Trading of Union Pacific

Hedge funds have recently bought and sold shares of the company. Moneta Group Investment Advisors LLC lifted its position in Union Pacific by 90,390.6% in the fourth quarter. Moneta Group Investment Advisors LLC now owns 13,697,556 shares of the railroad operator’s stock valued at $2,836,353,000 after purchasing an additional 13,682,419 shares during the last quarter. Morgan Stanley grew its stake in Union Pacific by 10.9% in the fourth quarter. Morgan Stanley now owns 8,983,932 shares of the railroad operator’s stock worth $1,860,303,000 after purchasing an additional 883,963 shares during the period. Norges Bank purchased a new stake in Union Pacific in the fourth quarter worth $1,832,127,000. Wellington Management Group LLP grew its stake in Union Pacific by 0.3% in the third quarter. Wellington Management Group LLP now owns 7,261,449 shares of the railroad operator’s stock worth $1,478,649,000 after purchasing an additional 19,145 shares during the period. Finally, Capital Research Global Investors grew its stake in Union Pacific by 23.1% in the fourth quarter. Capital Research Global Investors now owns 6,851,767 shares of the railroad operator’s stock worth $1,682,931,000 after purchasing an additional 1,285,144 shares during the period. Institutional investors own 80.38% of the company’s stock.

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.