Union Pacific (NYSE:UNP) Hits New 1-Year High – Time to Buy?

Union Pacific Corporation (NYSE:UNP) shares reached a new 52-week high during mid-day trading on Thursday . The stock traded as high as $263.92 and last traded at $262.9570, with a volume of 4634624 shares. The stock had previously closed at $261.32.

Analyst Ratings Changes

Several equities research analysts recently weighed in on UNP shares. The Goldman Sachs Group restated a “neutral” rating and issued a $267.00 target price on shares of Union Pacific in a report on Tuesday, January 27th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. reduced their price objective on shares of Union Pacific from $270.00 to $265.00 and set a “neutral” rating for the company in a research note on Wednesday, January 28th. Citigroup reaffirmed a “buy” rating and set a $270.00 price objective (up from $265.00) on shares of Union Pacific in a report on Wednesday, January 28th. TD Cowen lowered their target price on shares of Union Pacific from $257.00 to $255.00 and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a research note on Wednesday, January 28th. Finally, Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft set a $245.00 target price on shares of Union Pacific in a research report on Thursday, December 11th. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, thirteen have issued a Buy rating and ten have assigned a Hold rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat, the company currently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $258.32.

Union Pacific Trading Up 0.6%

The firm has a market cap of $156.04 billion, a P/E ratio of 21.97, a PEG ratio of 2.84 and a beta of 0.98. The company’s 50 day moving average is $235.45 and its two-hundred day moving average is $228.14. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.64, a current ratio of 0.91 and a quick ratio of 0.60.

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

Union Pacific Dividend Announcement

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, March 31st. Investors of record on Friday, February 27th will be given a $1.38 dividend. This represents a $5.52 annualized dividend and a yield of 2.1%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, February 27th. Union Pacific’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 46.12%.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Union Pacific

Hedge funds have recently made changes to their positions in the business. Acadian Asset Management LLC grew its holdings in shares of Union Pacific by 40.4% during the first quarter. Acadian Asset Management LLC now owns 2,312 shares of the railroad operator’s stock worth $546,000 after buying an additional 665 shares in the last quarter. Allspring Global Investments Holdings LLC boosted its position in Union Pacific by 5.3% during the second quarter. Allspring Global Investments Holdings LLC now owns 84,008 shares of the railroad operator’s stock worth $19,790,000 after purchasing an additional 4,256 shares during the period. MGO One Seven LLC boosted its holdings in shares of Union Pacific by 2.9% during the 2nd quarter. MGO One Seven LLC now owns 12,408 shares of the railroad operator’s stock worth $2,855,000 after buying an additional 354 shares during the period. Vest Financial LLC grew its position in shares of Union Pacific by 39.3% in the second quarter. Vest Financial LLC now owns 9,738 shares of the railroad operator’s stock valued at $2,241,000 after purchasing an additional 2,746 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Courier Capital LLC increased its position in Union Pacific by 18.5% during the 2nd quarter. Courier Capital LLC now owns 3,921 shares of the railroad operator’s stock worth $902,000 after buying an additional 612 shares during the period. Institutional investors and hedge funds 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.