Union Pacific Corporation $UNP Shares Purchased by Maryland State Retirement & Pension System

Maryland State Retirement & Pension System raised its holdings in Union Pacific Corporation (NYSE:UNP) by 15.0% in the 3rd quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the SEC. The firm owned 36,550 shares of the railroad operator’s stock after acquiring an additional 4,776 shares during the quarter. Maryland State Retirement & Pension System’s holdings in Union Pacific were worth $9,946,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Other institutional investors and hedge funds have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Scarborough Advisors LLC acquired a new position in shares of Union Pacific during the first quarter worth $27,000. John Boyer Inc. bought a new stake in shares of Union Pacific in the third quarter worth $27,000. Wiser Advisor Group LLC bought a new stake in shares of Union Pacific in the second quarter worth $30,000. Kelly Lawrence W & Associates Inc. CA acquired a new stake in Union Pacific in the second quarter valued at $34,000. Finally, Clark Wealth Partners increased its holdings in Union Pacific by 37.4% in the third quarter. Clark Wealth Partners now owns 136 shares of the railroad operator’s stock valued at $37,000 after purchasing an additional 37 shares during the period. 80.38% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Union Pacific Stock Up 0.7%

UNP stock opened at $304.29 on Friday. The stock’s 50 day simple moving average is $286.99 and its 200 day simple moving average is $273.31. The company has a market cap of $180.83 billion, a P/E ratio of 23.72, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.78 and a beta of 0.84. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.32, a quick ratio of 0.99 and a current ratio of 1.16. Union Pacific Corporation has a fifty-two week low of $219.89 and a fifty-two week high of $315.99.

Union Pacific (NYSE:UNP) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, October 22nd. The railroad operator reported $3.53 EPS for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $3.47 by $0.06. The firm had revenue of $7.20 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $7.16 billion. Union Pacific had a return on equity of 37.54% and a net margin of 28.90%. The company’s revenue for the quarter was up 15.3% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter last year, the firm posted $3.08 earnings per share. On average, research analysts expect that Union Pacific Corporation will post 13.13 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Analyst Ratings Changes

Several brokerages recently issued reports on UNP. Sanford C. Bernstein raised their target price on Union Pacific from $346.00 to $347.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a research report on Tuesday, October 20th. Weiss Ratings upgraded Union Pacific from a “buy (b-)” rating to a “buy (b)” rating in a research report on Friday, October 9th. Stephens upped their price target on Union Pacific from $340.00 to $352.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a research report on Thursday, October 22nd. Susquehanna increased their price target on Union Pacific from $333.00 to $345.00 and gave the company a “positive” rating in a research note on Tuesday, October 27th. Finally, Raymond James Financial restated a “strong-buy” rating and set a $285.00 price objective (up from $275.00) on shares of Union Pacific in a research report on Friday, October 23rd. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, nineteen have issued a Buy rating and four have given a Hold rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the stock currently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $325.09.

About Union Pacific

Union Pacific Corporation operates one of the largest freight rail networks in the United States through its subsidiary, Union Pacific Railroad. Its network serves 23 states across the western two-thirds of the country and connects with other railroads, ports and border crossings, including routes to Mexico and Canada. The company transports a broad range of goods, including agricultural products, industrial materials, coal and energy products, and consumer merchandise. Its services support industries such as manufacturing, construction, agriculture, automotive and retail, with intermodal transportation combining rail with truck and shipping services.