Van Hulzen Asset Management LLC Buys Shares of 13,067 Union Pacific Corporation $UNP

Van Hulzen Asset Management LLC purchased a new position in shares of Union Pacific Corporation (NYSE:UNP) in the 2nd quarter, Holdings Channel reports. The firm purchased 13,067 shares of the railroad operator’s stock, valued at approximately $3,554,000.

A number of other institutional investors have also made changes to their positions in UNP. Tucker Asset Management LLC bought a new stake in Union Pacific during the 4th quarter worth about $25,000. SWAN Capital LLC increased its position in shares of Union Pacific by 2,575.0% in the fourth quarter. SWAN Capital LLC now owns 107 shares of the railroad operator’s stock valued at $25,000 after acquiring an additional 103 shares during the last quarter. Wiser Advisor Group LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Union Pacific in the second quarter valued at about $30,000. Scarborough Advisors LLC bought a new stake in Union Pacific during the first quarter worth about $27,000. Finally, Cornerstone Financial Management LLC bought a new stake in Union Pacific during the fourth quarter worth about $27,000. Institutional investors own 80.38% of the company’s stock.

Union Pacific Stock Down 1.1%

UNP opened at $285.27 on Thursday. The company has a current ratio of 0.99, a quick ratio of 0.82 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.40. The stock’s fifty day simple moving average is $294.77 and its 200 day simple moving average is $271.51. Union Pacific Corporation has a 1-year low of $210.84 and a 1-year high of $315.99. The stock has a market cap of $169.47 billion, a PE ratio of 23.10, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.87 and a beta of 0.96.

Union Pacific (NYSE:UNP) last released its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, July 23rd. The railroad operator reported $3.41 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $3.26 by $0.15. Union Pacific had a return on equity of 38.46% and a net margin of 28.85%.The business had revenue of $6.86 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $6.72 billion. During the same period in the previous year, the company posted $3.03 EPS. The firm’s quarterly revenue was up 11.5% on a year-over-year basis. As a group, research analysts expect that Union Pacific Corporation will post 13.02 earnings per share for the current year.

Union Pacific Increases Dividend

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, September 30th. Investors of record on Monday, August 31st will be paid a $1.42 dividend. This represents a $5.68 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 2.0%. This is a boost from Union Pacific’s previous quarterly dividend of $1.38. The ex-dividend date is Monday, August 31st. Union Pacific’s dividend payout ratio is currently 45.99%.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several research firms have weighed in on UNP. Robert W. Baird boosted their price target on Union Pacific from $311.00 to $344.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a research report on Monday, July 27th. Susquehanna raised their target price on shares of Union Pacific from $305.00 to $333.00 and gave the company a “positive” rating in a research note on Tuesday, July 14th. BMO Capital Markets restated a “market perform” rating and set a $320.00 target price (up from $285.00) on shares of Union Pacific in a report on Friday, July 24th. Evercore reaffirmed an “outperform” rating and set a $294.00 price target on shares of Union Pacific in a research report on Thursday, June 25th. Finally, Raymond James Financial reiterated a “strong-buy” rating on shares of Union Pacific in a research note on Monday, July 13th. Two 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 MarketBeat, the company has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $320.89.

About Union Pacific

Union Pacific Corporation is a transportation company that operates Union Pacific Railroad, one of the largest freight railroad networks in the United States. The company provides rail transportation and logistics services for a broad range of commodities, including agricultural products, automotive goods, chemicals, coal, industrial products, and intermodal shipments.

Union Pacific’s railroad network serves the western two-thirds of the United States, connecting major markets and ports across approximately 23 states.