Union Pacific (NYSE:UNP) Upgraded by Susquehanna to “Positive” Rating

Union Pacific (NYSE:UNP) was upgraded by stock analysts at Susquehanna from a “neutral” rating to a “positive” rating in a report issued on Tuesday, MarketBeat.com reports. The firm presently has a $260.00 target price on the railroad operator’s stock. Susquehanna’s price target points to a potential upside of 15.08% from the stock’s current price.

Other analysts have also issued research reports about the stock. Stephens reduced their price target on shares of Union Pacific from $275.00 to $255.00 and set an “overweight” rating on the stock in a research report on Monday, April 28th. Redburn Atlantic raised Union Pacific from a “neutral” rating to a “buy” rating and set a $259.00 target price for the company in a research note on Wednesday, April 16th. Argus upgraded Union Pacific to a “strong-buy” rating in a research report on Friday, May 16th. Jefferies Financial Group lowered their price target on Union Pacific from $255.00 to $230.00 and set a “hold” rating for the company in a report on Wednesday, April 9th. Finally, Bank of America raised their price objective on Union Pacific from $256.00 to $262.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research report on Friday, May 16th. One research analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, six have issued a hold rating, sixteen have given a buy rating and two have issued a strong buy rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the stock has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $258.39.

Union Pacific Stock Up 1.5%

Shares of UNP opened at $225.93 on Tuesday. Union Pacific has a 52-week low of $204.66 and a 52-week high of $258.07. The company has a quick ratio of 0.61, a current ratio of 0.73 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.91. The stock has a fifty day simple moving average of $221.34 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $230.83. The company has a market capitalization of $134.99 billion, a PE ratio of 20.35, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.23 and a beta of 1.05.

Union Pacific (NYSE:UNP) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, April 24th. The railroad operator reported $2.70 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing analysts’ consensus estimates of $2.73 by ($0.03). Union Pacific had a net margin of 27.76% and a return on equity of 40.80%. The firm had revenue of $6.03 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $6.11 billion. During the same period in the prior year, the company posted $2.69 EPS. The company’s revenue for the quarter was down .1% compared to the same quarter last year. As a group, equities analysts forecast that Union Pacific will post 11.99 EPS for the current year.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Several institutional investors and hedge funds have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Geode Capital Management LLC lifted its position in shares of Union Pacific by 12.6% during the 4th quarter. Geode Capital Management LLC now owns 14,430,581 shares of the railroad operator’s stock worth $3,282,305,000 after purchasing an additional 1,616,895 shares during the last quarter. Capital Research Global Investors lifted its holdings in Union Pacific by 14.3% during the 4th quarter. Capital Research Global Investors now owns 10,395,364 shares of the railroad operator’s stock worth $2,370,559,000 after buying an additional 1,298,178 shares during the last quarter. Norges Bank purchased a new stake in Union Pacific during the 4th quarter worth about $1,927,377,000. Franklin Resources Inc. increased its holdings in shares of Union Pacific by 5.0% in the 4th quarter. Franklin Resources Inc. now owns 7,686,387 shares of the railroad operator’s stock valued at $1,752,804,000 after acquiring an additional 363,937 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Northern Trust Corp increased its holdings in shares of Union Pacific by 2.0% in the 1st quarter. Northern Trust Corp now owns 7,105,382 shares of the railroad operator’s stock valued at $1,678,575,000 after acquiring an additional 142,732 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds 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.