Union Pacific (NYSE:UNP) Rating Lowered to Inline at Evercore ISI

Union Pacific (NYSE:UNP) was downgraded by equities research analysts at Evercore ISI from an “outperform” rating to an “inline” rating in a research report issued on Wednesday, MarketBeat Ratings reports. They presently have a $247.00 price target on the railroad operator’s stock, down from their prior price target of $254.00. Evercore ISI’s target price would indicate a potential upside of 1.55% from the stock’s current price.

UNP has been the subject of several other reports. Wells Fargo & Company began coverage on Union Pacific in a research note on Friday, June 7th. They issued an “overweight” rating and a $270.00 price objective for the company. Loop Capital cut shares of Union Pacific from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating and decreased their price objective for the company from $276.00 to $238.00 in a research note on Monday, June 17th. Bank of America cut their price objective on shares of Union Pacific from $273.00 to $270.00 and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a research note on Tuesday. Sanford C. Bernstein decreased their target price on shares of Union Pacific from $290.00 to $273.00 and set an “outperform” rating for the company in a research report on Monday, July 8th. Finally, Stifel Nicolaus cut their price target on Union Pacific from $267.00 to $265.00 and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a research report on Wednesday, July 17th. Seven equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, twelve have given a buy rating and one has given a strong buy rating to the company’s stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, Union Pacific currently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $258.11.

Union Pacific Stock Performance

UNP opened at $243.23 on Wednesday. The company has a market cap of $148.18 billion, a P/E ratio of 23.28, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.26 and a beta of 1.05. The company has a quick ratio of 0.86, a current ratio of 1.05 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.89. The firm’s 50-day moving average price is $245.76 and its 200-day moving average price is $238.98. Union Pacific has a 52-week low of $199.33 and a 52-week high of $258.66.

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

Insider Activity

In related news, President Elizabeth F. Whited sold 3,552 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, July 30th. The stock was sold at an average price of $246.59, for a total value of $875,887.68. Following the completion of the transaction, the president now directly owns 64,945 shares in the company, valued at $16,014,787.55. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at this hyperlink. Corporate insiders own 0.28% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Union Pacific

A number of institutional investors have recently made changes to their positions in UNP. OLD Point Trust & Financial Services N A acquired a new position in Union Pacific during the fourth quarter worth $25,000. Richardson Capital Management LLC acquired a new position in shares of Union Pacific in the first quarter valued at approximately $26,000. Raleigh Capital Management Inc. increased its stake in Union Pacific by 211.4% during the 4th quarter. Raleigh Capital Management Inc. now owns 109 shares of the railroad operator’s stock worth $27,000 after buying an additional 74 shares during the period. Cultivar Capital Inc. acquired a new stake in Union Pacific during the 2nd quarter worth approximately $27,000. Finally, Strategic Investment Solutions Inc. IL acquired a new position in shares of Union Pacific in the second quarter worth $28,000. 80.38% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Union Pacific Company Profile

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.