Union Pacific Corporation $UNP Stock Holdings Trimmed by Wedge Capital Management L L P NC

Wedge Capital Management L L P NC lowered its position in shares of Union Pacific Corporation (NYSE:UNP) by 86.2% during the 2nd quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 1,244 shares of the railroad operator’s stock after selling 7,767 shares during the quarter. Wedge Capital Management L L P NC’s holdings in Union Pacific were worth $338,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

A number of other large investors also recently bought and sold shares of UNP. Capital World Investors increased its holdings in shares of Union Pacific by 92.1% in the 4th quarter. Capital World Investors now owns 20,136,349 shares of the railroad operator’s stock valued at $4,658,142,000 after acquiring an additional 9,655,306 shares during the last quarter. Norges Bank acquired a new position in Union Pacific in the fourth quarter worth $1,779,907,000. UBS AM A Distinct Business Unit of UBS Asset Management Americas LLC boosted its holdings in 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 worth $2,169,168,000 after purchasing an additional 3,861,636 shares during the period. Capital Research Global Investors increased its stake in Union Pacific by 26.0% during the fourth quarter. Capital Research Global Investors now owns 10,980,904 shares of the railroad operator’s stock valued at $2,540,105,000 after purchasing an additional 2,267,708 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Bank of America Corp DE raised its stake in Union Pacific by 16.8% during the first quarter. Bank of America Corp DE now owns 14,463,071 shares of the railroad operator’s stock worth $3,509,030,000 after acquiring an additional 2,084,808 shares during the period. Institutional investors own 80.38% of the company’s stock.

Union Pacific Price Performance

NYSE UNP opened at $293.57 on Friday. The company has a 50 day simple moving average of $283.00 and a 200-day simple moving average of $265.13. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.40, a current ratio of 0.99 and a quick ratio of 0.82. The firm has a market capitalization of $174.40 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 23.77, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 3.00 and a beta of 0.96. Union Pacific Corporation has a 52-week low of $210.84 and a 52-week high of $315.99.

Union Pacific (NYSE:UNP) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, July 23rd. The railroad operator reported $3.41 EPS for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $3.26 by $0.15. Union Pacific had a net margin of 28.85% and a return on equity of 38.46%. The business had revenue of $6.86 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $6.72 billion. During the same period last year, the company posted $3.03 earnings per share. The firm’s quarterly revenue was up 11.5% compared to the same quarter last year. Equities research analysts predict that Union Pacific Corporation will post 12.93 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Union Pacific Increases Dividend

The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, September 30th. Shareholders of record on Monday, August 31st will be paid a dividend of $1.42 per share. This is an increase from Union Pacific’s previous quarterly dividend of $1.38. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Monday, August 31st. This represents a $5.68 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 1.9%. Union Pacific’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 44.70%.

Insider Activity

In other news, EVP Eric J. Gehringer sold 2,991 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction on Wednesday, June 3rd. The shares were sold at an average price of $263.96, for a total transaction of $789,504.36. Following the transaction, the executive vice president directly owned 43,012 shares in the company, valued at $11,353,447.52. The trade was a 6.50% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available at this link. 0.22% of the stock is owned by company insiders.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

A number of research firms have issued reports on UNP. Benchmark raised their target price on Union Pacific from $325.00 to $335.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research note on Friday, July 24th. BMO Capital Markets reaffirmed a “market perform” rating and set a $320.00 price target (up from $285.00) on shares of Union Pacific in a research note on Friday, July 24th. Citigroup raised their target price on Union Pacific from $326.00 to $349.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research note on Friday, July 24th. Royal Bank Of Canada reaffirmed an “outperform” rating and set a $339.00 target price (up from $289.00) on shares of Union Pacific in a report on Friday, July 24th. Finally, Barclays reiterated an “overweight” rating and issued a $350.00 price target (up from $315.00) on shares of Union Pacific in a research report on Friday, July 24th. Two research analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, thirteen have given a Buy rating and six have issued a Hold rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, Union Pacific has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $320.89.

Union Pacific Company Profile

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.