Royal Bank of Canada Reaffirms “Outperform” Rating for Union Pacific (NYSE:UNP)

Royal Bank of Canada reaffirmed their outperform rating on shares of Union Pacific (NYSE:UNP) in a research report sent to investors on Friday morning, Benzinga reports. They currently have a $275.00 price objective on the railroad operator’s stock.

UNP has been the topic of several other reports. Barclays cut their price target on shares of Union Pacific from $290.00 to $280.00 and set an overweight rating on the stock in a report on Friday, July 26th. Wells Fargo & Company started coverage on shares of Union Pacific in a research note on Friday, June 7th. They set an overweight rating and a $270.00 target price for the company. TD Cowen lowered their target price on shares of Union Pacific from $259.00 to $255.00 and set a buy rating for the company in a research note on Friday, July 26th. Loop Capital lowered shares of Union Pacific from a buy rating to a hold rating and lowered their target price for the company from $276.00 to $238.00 in a research note on Monday, June 17th. Finally, Susquehanna lowered their target price on shares of Union Pacific from $270.00 to $250.00 and set a neutral rating for the company in a research note on Tuesday, June 25th. Seven investment analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, thirteen have assigned a buy rating and one has assigned a strong buy rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat, Union Pacific has a consensus rating of Moderate Buy and a consensus target price of $258.79.

Union Pacific Trading Down 0.6 %

NYSE UNP opened at $244.00 on Friday. The company’s fifty day simple moving average is $245.61 and its 200-day simple moving average is $238.95. Union Pacific has a 52 week low of $199.33 and a 52 week high of $258.66. The company has a current ratio of 1.05, a quick ratio of 0.86 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.89. The stock has a market cap of $148.87 billion, a P/E ratio of 23.28, a PEG ratio of 2.24 and a beta of 1.05.

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

Union Pacific Increases Dividend

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, September 30th. Investors of record on Friday, August 30th will be given a $1.34 dividend. This represents a $5.36 annualized dividend and a dividend 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 is 51.15%.

Insider Activity at Union Pacific

In related news, President Elizabeth F. Whited sold 3,552 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, July 30th. The shares were sold at an average price of $246.59, for a total value of $875,887.68. Following the completion of the sale, the president now owns 64,945 shares in the company, valued at approximately $16,014,787.55. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. 0.28% of the stock is owned by insiders.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Union Pacific

Hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the stock. BNP Paribas purchased a new stake in Union Pacific in the 1st quarter worth approximately $1,088,000. Stifel Financial Corp increased 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 worth $558,542,000 after purchasing an additional 222,318 shares during the last quarter. Envestnet Portfolio Solutions Inc. increased its stake in shares of Union Pacific by 19.0% during the 1st quarter. Envestnet Portfolio Solutions Inc. now owns 126,369 shares of the railroad operator’s stock worth $31,078,000 after purchasing an additional 20,173 shares during the last quarter. Cambridge Investment Research Advisors Inc. increased its stake in shares of Union Pacific by 5.7% during the 4th quarter. Cambridge Investment Research Advisors Inc. now owns 75,365 shares of the railroad operator’s stock worth $18,511,000 after purchasing an additional 4,089 shares during the last quarter. Finally, M&G Plc acquired a new position in shares of Union Pacific during the 1st quarter worth $10,378,000. Hedge funds and other 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.