Union Pacific (NYSE:UNP) Sets New 1-Year High – Should You Buy?

Union Pacific Corporation (NYSE:UNP)’s stock price reached a new 52-week high on Thursday . The company traded as high as $265.64 and last traded at $264.8230, with a volume of 348658 shares. The stock had previously closed at $265.00.

Analyst Ratings Changes

A number of research firms have commented on UNP. Weiss Ratings upgraded Union Pacific from a “hold (c+)” rating to a “buy (b-)” rating in a research note on Friday, February 6th. Royal Bank Of Canada set a $280.00 target price on Union Pacific in a research note on Thursday, December 18th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. lowered their target price on Union Pacific from $270.00 to $265.00 and set a “neutral” rating for the company in a report on Wednesday, January 28th. BMO Capital Markets reiterated a “market perform” rating and set a $295.00 price target on shares of Union Pacific in a research note on Thursday. Finally, TD Cowen reduced their price target on shares of Union Pacific from $257.00 to $255.00 and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a research report on Wednesday, January 28th. One analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, thirteen have assigned a Buy rating and ten have assigned a Hold rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the stock has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $260.14.

Union Pacific Price Performance

The stock’s 50 day moving average is $238.15 and its two-hundred day moving average is $229.47. The stock has a market capitalization of $156.52 billion, a PE ratio of 22.04, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.87 and a beta of 0.98. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.64, a current ratio of 0.91 and a quick ratio of 0.75.

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 return on equity of 40.89% and a net margin of 29.12%.The firm had revenue of $6.09 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $6.15 billion. During the same quarter last year, the firm earned $2.91 EPS. The company’s revenue was down .6% on a year-over-year basis. As a group, sell-side analysts forecast that Union Pacific Corporation will post 11.99 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Union Pacific Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, March 31st. Shareholders of record on Friday, February 27th will be issued a dividend of $1.38 per share. This represents a $5.52 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 2.1%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, February 27th. Union Pacific’s payout ratio is 46.12%.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

A number of hedge funds have recently made changes to their positions in UNP. Rachor Investment Advisory Services LLC acquired a new position in shares of Union Pacific in the 4th quarter valued at $25,000. Tucker Asset Management LLC purchased a new stake in Union Pacific in the fourth quarter valued at $25,000. SWAN Capital LLC boosted its stake in Union Pacific by 2,575.0% in the fourth quarter. SWAN Capital LLC now owns 107 shares of the railroad operator’s stock valued at $25,000 after acquiring an additional 103 shares in the last quarter. High Point Wealth Management LLC purchased a new position in shares of Union Pacific during the fourth quarter worth about $26,000. Finally, Caitlin John LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Union Pacific during the third quarter worth about $27,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors 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.