Union Pacific (NYSE:UNP) Upgraded to Outperform at Evercore

Union Pacific (NYSE:UNP) was upgraded by Evercore from an “in-line” rating to an “outperform” rating in a report issued on Thursday,Finviz reports. The brokerage presently has a $262.00 target price on the railroad operator’s stock. Evercore’s price objective suggests a potential upside of 10.81% from the stock’s previous close.

Several other equities analysts also recently commented on UNP. Raymond James Financial reiterated a “strong-buy” rating on shares of Union Pacific in a report on Tuesday, January 27th. TD Cowen reduced their target price on shares of Union Pacific from $257.00 to $255.00 and set a “buy” rating for the company in a report on Wednesday, January 28th. BMO Capital Markets reiterated a “market perform” rating and issued a $295.00 price target on shares of Union Pacific in a research note on Thursday, February 19th. Royal Bank Of Canada set a $280.00 price target on shares of Union Pacific in a report on Thursday, December 18th. Finally, Susquehanna restated a “buy” rating on shares of Union Pacific in a research report on Monday, January 19th. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, fifteen have given a Buy rating and eight have issued a Hold rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, Union Pacific presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $264.86.

Union Pacific Stock Performance

Shares of NYSE UNP opened at $236.44 on Thursday. The company has a current ratio of 0.91, a quick ratio of 0.75 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.64. Union Pacific has a 12 month low of $204.66 and a 12 month high of $268.14. The stock has a 50 day moving average of $247.08 and a 200-day moving average of $234.19. The company has a market capitalization of $140.30 billion, a P/E ratio of 19.75, a P/E/G ratio of 2.64 and a beta of 0.95.

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

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Union Pacific

Hedge funds have recently bought and sold shares of the business. Capital World Investors grew its position in shares of Union Pacific by 92.1% during the 4th quarter. Capital World Investors now owns 20,136,349 shares of the railroad operator’s stock worth $4,658,142,000 after purchasing an additional 9,655,306 shares in the last quarter. Norges Bank acquired a new stake in shares of Union Pacific in the second quarter valued at approximately $1,856,340,000. Capital Research Global Investors boosted its stake in shares of Union Pacific by 95.0% in the third quarter. Capital Research Global Investors now owns 8,713,196 shares of the railroad operator’s stock valued at $2,059,538,000 after buying an additional 4,244,226 shares during the period. UBS AM A Distinct Business Unit of UBS Asset Management Americas LLC boosted its stake in shares of Union Pacific by 72.7% in the third quarter. UBS AM A Distinct Business Unit of UBS Asset Management Americas LLC now owns 9,177,002 shares of the railroad operator’s stock valued at $2,169,168,000 after buying an additional 3,861,636 shares during the period. Finally, Laurel Wealth Advisors LLC grew its position in Union Pacific by 22,618.2% during the second quarter. Laurel Wealth Advisors LLC now owns 2,624,636 shares of the railroad operator’s stock worth $603,876,000 after buying an additional 2,613,083 shares in the last quarter. 80.38% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

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.