Union Pacific (NYSE:UNP) Posts Quarterly Earnings Results, Beats Estimates By $0.19 EPS

Union Pacific (NYSE:UNP) issued its quarterly earnings results on Thursday. The railroad operator reported $2.69 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $2.50 by $0.19, Briefing.com reports. Union Pacific had a return on equity of 46.87% and a net margin of 26.45%. The business had revenue of $6.03 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $5.97 billion. During the same quarter in the prior year, the firm posted $2.67 earnings per share. The firm’s revenue for the quarter was down .4% compared to the same quarter last year.

Union Pacific Price Performance

Shares of NYSE:UNP traded down $2.28 during trading on Friday, reaching $241.27. 503,914 shares of the company traded hands, compared to its average volume of 2,310,745. The company’s 50 day moving average is $244.34 and its two-hundred day moving average is $234.68. The firm has a market capitalization of $147.20 billion, a PE ratio of 23.23, a PEG ratio of 2.51 and a beta of 1.07. The company has a quick ratio of 0.67, a current ratio of 0.81 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 2.11. Union Pacific has a 52 week low of $190.45 and a 52 week high of $258.66.

Union Pacific Announces Dividend

The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, March 29th. Stockholders of record on Thursday, February 29th were given a dividend of $1.30 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Wednesday, February 28th. This represents a $5.20 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 2.16%. Union Pacific’s payout ratio is 49.71%.

Insider Buying and Selling

In other Union Pacific news, President Elizabeth F. Whited sold 3,750 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction dated Thursday, February 15th. The stock was sold at an average price of $250.00, for a total value of $937,500.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the president now owns 56,682 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $14,170,500. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available through the SEC website. 0.28% of the stock is owned by corporate insiders.

Analyst Ratings Changes

Several research firms have weighed in on UNP. BMO Capital Markets increased their target price on Union Pacific from $270.00 to $275.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a research note on Friday, January 26th. Susquehanna increased their target price on Union Pacific from $255.00 to $270.00 and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a research note on Friday. TD Cowen increased their target price on Union Pacific from $252.00 to $258.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research note on Friday. The Goldman Sachs Group increased their target price on Union Pacific from $248.00 to $274.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research note on Thursday, April 11th. Finally, Royal Bank of Canada cut their target price on Union Pacific from $282.00 to $272.00 and set an “outperform” rating on the stock in a research note on Friday, January 26th. Seven analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, eleven have issued a buy rating and one has assigned a strong buy rating to the company’s stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, Union Pacific has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $256.00.

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.