Union Pacific (NYSE:UNP) Shares Gap Down – Should You Sell?

Union Pacific Co. (NYSE:UNP) shares gapped down before the market opened on Thursday . The stock had previously closed at $241.35, but opened at $229.42. Union Pacific shares last traded at $230.34, with a volume of 911,051 shares traded.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

Several equities research analysts have issued reports on the stock. Barclays lowered their price target on shares of Union Pacific from $290.00 to $280.00 and set an “overweight” rating on the stock in a research note on Friday, July 26th. Stifel Nicolaus reduced their price target on Union Pacific from $267.00 to $265.00 and set a “buy” rating for the company in a research report on Wednesday, July 17th. Evercore ISI cut Union Pacific from an “outperform” rating to an “inline” rating and dropped their price objective for the stock from $254.00 to $247.00 in a research note on Wednesday, September 25th. Bank of America lowered their target price on shares of Union Pacific from $273.00 to $270.00 and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a report on Tuesday, September 24th. Finally, Daiwa America cut shares of Union Pacific from a “moderate buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note on Wednesday, September 4th. Nine research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, ten have given a buy rating and one has issued a strong buy rating to the company’s stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, Union Pacific has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $260.53.

Union Pacific Stock Performance

The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.89, a quick ratio of 0.86 and a current ratio of 1.05. The stock has a market cap of $139.09 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 21.64, a P/E/G ratio of 2.23 and a beta of 1.05. The stock has a fifty day simple moving average of $246.57 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $238.60.

Union Pacific (NYSE:UNP) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, July 25th. The railroad operator reported $2.74 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $2.71 by $0.03. Union Pacific had a net margin of 26.90% and a return on equity of 42.62%. The company had revenue of $6.01 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $6.05 billion. During the same period in the prior year, the business earned $2.57 earnings per share. The company’s revenue for the quarter was up .7% compared to the same quarter last year. Analysts expect that Union Pacific Co. will post 11.07 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Insider Activity

In related news, President Elizabeth F. Whited sold 3,552 shares of Union Pacific stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, July 30th. The shares were sold at an average price of $246.59, for a total transaction of $875,887.68. Following the sale, the president now directly owns 64,945 shares in the company, valued at $16,014,787.55. This trade represents a 0.00 % decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at this hyperlink. Insiders own 0.28% of the company’s stock.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Union Pacific

A number of hedge funds have recently made changes to their positions in the stock. Richardson Capital Management LLC bought a new position in Union Pacific during the 1st quarter worth approximately $26,000. Cultivar Capital Inc. bought a new position in Union Pacific during the second quarter worth $27,000. Strategic Investment Solutions Inc. IL acquired a new position in Union Pacific in the second quarter valued at $28,000. Tributary Capital Management LLC bought a new stake in Union Pacific during the first quarter valued at $30,000. Finally, Financial Gravity Asset Management Inc. grew its holdings in Union Pacific by 3,250.0% during the 2nd quarter. Financial Gravity Asset Management Inc. now owns 134 shares of the railroad operator’s stock worth $30,000 after acquiring an additional 130 shares during the period. 80.38% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

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.