Union Pacific (NYSE:UNP) Posts Earnings Results, Beats Expectations By $0.19 EPS

Union Pacific (NYSE:UNP) issued its quarterly earnings data on Thursday. The railroad operator reported $2.69 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $2.50 by $0.19, Briefing.com reports. Union Pacific had a return on equity of 46.87% and a net margin of 26.45%. The company had revenue of $6.03 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $5.97 billion. During the same quarter in the previous year, the company posted $2.67 earnings per share. The business’s revenue was down .4% on a year-over-year basis.

Union Pacific Price Performance

NYSE:UNP traded down $0.65 during trading hours on Friday, hitting $242.90. 983,063 shares of the company’s stock traded hands, compared to its average volume of 2,316,470. The firm has a market cap of $148.19 billion, a P/E ratio of 23.15, a P/E/G ratio of 2.51 and a beta of 1.07. Union Pacific has a 52 week low of $190.45 and a 52 week high of $258.66. The business’s fifty day simple moving average is $244.34 and its two-hundred day simple moving average is $234.68. The company has a quick ratio of 0.67, a current ratio of 0.81 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 2.11.

Union Pacific Announces Dividend

The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, March 29th. Investors of record on Thursday, February 29th were paid a dividend of $1.30 per share. This represents a $5.20 annualized dividend and a yield of 2.14%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Wednesday, February 28th. Union Pacific’s dividend payout ratio is 49.71%.

Analyst Ratings Changes

A number of equities research analysts have recently issued reports on UNP shares. Morgan Stanley boosted their price objective on Union Pacific from $198.00 to $210.00 and gave the stock an “equal weight” rating in a report on Friday. Stifel Nicolaus boosted their price target on Union Pacific from $231.00 to $248.00 and gave the company a “hold” rating in a research note on Friday, April 12th. Evercore ISI boosted their price target on Union Pacific from $271.00 to $273.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a research note on Friday. The Goldman Sachs Group boosted their price target on Union Pacific from $248.00 to $274.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research note on Thursday, April 11th. Finally, BMO Capital Markets boosted their price target on Union Pacific from $270.00 to $275.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a research note on Friday, January 26th. Eight 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. According to MarketBeat.com, the company has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $258.57.

Insider Transactions at Union Pacific

In related news, President Elizabeth F. Whited sold 3,750 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Thursday, February 15th. The shares were sold at an average price of $250.00, for a total transaction of $937,500.00. Following the sale, the president now directly owns 56,682 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $14,170,500. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through the SEC website. Insiders own 0.28% of the company’s stock.

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.