Stack Financial Management Inc Lowers Position in Union Pacific Corporation $UNP

Stack Financial Management Inc lowered its holdings in Union Pacific Corporation (NYSE:UNP) by 1.3% during the 2nd quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 49,860 shares of the railroad operator’s stock after selling 636 shares during the period. Stack Financial Management Inc’s holdings in Union Pacific were worth $11,472,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Several other institutional investors and hedge funds have also recently modified their holdings of UNP. Nuveen LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Union Pacific in the 1st quarter valued at about $988,822,000. Goldman Sachs Group Inc. increased its position in shares of Union Pacific by 29.8% during the 1st quarter. Goldman Sachs Group Inc. now owns 3,699,109 shares of the railroad operator’s stock valued at $873,878,000 after purchasing an additional 850,025 shares during the last quarter. Auto Owners Insurance Co increased its position in shares of Union Pacific by 61,054.6% during the 1st quarter. Auto Owners Insurance Co now owns 625,000 shares of the railroad operator’s stock valued at $147,650,000 after purchasing an additional 623,978 shares during the last quarter. Menora Mivtachim Holdings LTD. bought a new position in shares of Union Pacific during the 1st quarter valued at about $115,096,000. Finally, Canada Pension Plan Investment Board increased its position in shares of Union Pacific by 10.8% during the 1st quarter. Canada Pension Plan Investment Board now owns 4,626,200 shares of the railroad operator’s stock valued at $1,092,893,000 after purchasing an additional 452,788 shares during the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 80.38% of the company’s stock.

Union Pacific Price Performance

UNP opened at $225.54 on Monday. The stock’s 50 day simple moving average is $224.45 and its 200 day simple moving average is $224.30. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.86, a current ratio of 0.65 and a quick ratio of 0.53. Union Pacific Corporation has a 1 year low of $204.66 and a 1 year high of $256.84. The firm has a market cap of $133.77 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 19.60, a PEG ratio of 2.34 and a beta of 1.07.

Union Pacific (NYSE:UNP) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, July 24th. The railroad operator reported $3.03 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $2.84 by $0.19. Union Pacific had a return on equity of 41.73% and a net margin of 28.43%.The business had revenue of $6.15 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $6.09 billion. During the same period last year, the company earned $2.74 EPS. Union Pacific’s revenue for the quarter was up 2.4% compared to the same quarter last year. As a group, analysts predict that Union Pacific Corporation will post 11.99 earnings per share for the current year.

Union Pacific Increases Dividend

The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Tuesday, September 30th. Shareholders of record on Friday, August 29th were issued a $1.38 dividend. This is an increase from Union Pacific’s previous quarterly dividend of $1.34. The ex-dividend date was Friday, August 29th. This represents a $5.52 annualized dividend and a yield of 2.4%. Union Pacific’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 47.96%.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

Several equities analysts have recently commented on UNP shares. Baird R W upgraded Union Pacific to a “hold” rating in a research report on Tuesday, July 1st. BMO Capital Markets increased their price objective on Union Pacific from $270.00 to $277.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a research report on Friday, July 25th. Robert W. Baird started coverage on Union Pacific in a research report on Tuesday, July 1st. They set a “neutral” rating and a $231.00 price objective on the stock. Raymond James Financial reiterated a “strong-buy” rating on shares of Union Pacific in a research report on Tuesday, July 15th. Finally, Argus lowered Union Pacific from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research report on Tuesday, August 12th. One analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, fifteen have issued a Buy rating and eleven have assigned a Hold rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat, the company has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $261.08.

About Union Pacific

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.