Flputnam Investment Management Co. Reduces Stake in Union Pacific Corporation $UNP

Flputnam Investment Management Co. cut its holdings in shares of Union Pacific Corporation (NYSE:UNP) by 1.7% in the second quarter, according to its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The fund owned 114,447 shares of the railroad operator’s stock after selling 1,922 shares during the quarter. Flputnam Investment Management Co.’s holdings in Union Pacific were worth $31,130,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Other large investors have also made changes to their positions in the company. Tucker Asset Management LLC acquired a new position in Union Pacific during the fourth quarter valued at $25,000. SWAN Capital LLC raised its stake in shares of Union Pacific by 2,575.0% during the 4th quarter. SWAN Capital LLC now owns 107 shares of the railroad operator’s stock valued at $25,000 after buying an additional 103 shares during the last quarter. Wiser Advisor Group LLC acquired a new position in shares of Union Pacific in the 2nd quarter valued at about $30,000. Scarborough Advisors LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Union Pacific in the first quarter worth about $27,000. Finally, Cornerstone Financial Management LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Union Pacific in the fourth quarter worth about $27,000. 80.38% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Insider Activity

In related news, EVP Eric J. Gehringer sold 2,991 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, June 3rd. The stock was sold at an average price of $263.96, for a total transaction of $789,504.36. Following the completion of the sale, the executive vice president directly owned 43,012 shares in the company, valued at approximately $11,353,447.52. The trade was a 6.50% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through the SEC website. 0.22% of the stock is owned by corporate insiders.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of research analysts have issued reports on UNP shares. Benchmark boosted their price target on Union Pacific from $325.00 to $335.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a report on Friday, July 24th. TD Cowen reaffirmed a “buy” rating and set a $325.00 target price (up from $282.00) on shares of Union Pacific in a report on Friday, July 24th. Wells Fargo & Company reissued an “overweight” rating and set a $335.00 price target (up from $315.00) on shares of Union Pacific in a report on Friday, July 24th. Weiss Ratings raised shares of Union Pacific from a “buy (b-)” rating to a “buy (b)” rating in a report on Friday, July 24th. Finally, UBS Group reiterated a “neutral” rating and issued a $310.00 price objective (up from $286.00) on shares of Union Pacific in a research report on Friday, July 24th. Two investment analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, fourteen have issued a Buy rating and six have issued a Hold rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the company currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $320.89.

Key Stories Impacting Union Pacific

Here are the key news stories impacting Union Pacific this week:

• Positive Sentiment: New analyst coverage adds support: Erste Group Bank AG initiated coverage of Union Pacific with a “buy” rating, signaling confidence in the railroad’s valuation and outlook. Erste Group Bank coverage
• Positive Sentiment: Dividend and earnings backdrop remains favorable: Union Pacific is being highlighted as a dividend-growth railroad, and recent quarterly results showed earnings and revenue above analyst expectations, with revenue up year over year. These factors reinforce the company’s appeal to income and quality-focused investors. Dividend-paying railroad stocks
• Neutral Sentiment: Merger application advances: Union Pacific and Norfolk Southern submitted expanded customer protections to the Surface Transportation Board, including broader eligibility for committed gateway pricing. The proposed terms could improve the prospects for approval of the first single-line transcontinental railroad network, although the transaction remains subject to a lengthy regulatory review. Union Pacific and Norfolk Southern merger protections
• Neutral Sentiment: Management will address investors: CEO Jim Vena and CFO Jennifer Hamann are scheduled to participate in a Bernstein Research fireside chat on September 1. Investors may look for updates on merger strategy, rail efficiency and operating trends. Union Pacific Bernstein fireside chat
• Negative Sentiment: Regulatory and efficiency risks remain: The companies continue defending the merger against opponents’ challenges, while new analysis describes Union Pacific as facing a fresh test of rail efficiency. Any tougher STB scrutiny or evidence of operational weaknesses could temper merger-driven optimism. Merger application regulatory review

Union Pacific Price Performance

Union Pacific stock opened at $307.82 on Friday. The stock has a market capitalization of $182.87 billion, a P/E ratio of 24.92, a P/E/G ratio of 3.12 and a beta of 0.96. The company’s fifty day moving average price is $291.07 and its 200 day moving average price is $269.81. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.40, a quick ratio of 0.82 and a current ratio of 0.99. Union Pacific Corporation has a 1 year low of $210.84 and a 1 year high of $315.99.

Union Pacific (NYSE:UNP) last released its earnings results on Thursday, July 23rd. The railroad operator reported $3.41 EPS for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates 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 quarter in the previous year, the company earned $3.03 earnings per share. The company’s quarterly revenue was up 11.5% on a year-over-year basis. As a group, equities research analysts anticipate that Union Pacific Corporation will post 13.01 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Union Pacific Increases Dividend

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, September 30th. Stockholders of record on Monday, August 31st will be paid a $1.42 dividend. This is a boost from Union Pacific’s previous quarterly dividend of $1.38. This represents a $5.68 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 1.8%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Monday, August 31st. Union Pacific’s dividend payout ratio is presently 44.70%.

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.