Union Pacific Corporation $UNP Shares Purchased by Prudential PLC

Prudential PLC increased its position in shares of Union Pacific Corporation (NYSE:UNP) by 18.5% during the 2nd quarter, according to the company in its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The institutional investor owned 148,643 shares of the railroad operator’s stock after purchasing an additional 23,185 shares during the period. Prudential PLC’s holdings in Union Pacific were worth $34,200,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also recently bought and sold shares of the company. CBIZ Investment Advisory Services LLC raised its holdings in shares of Union Pacific by 1,400.0% in the 1st quarter. CBIZ Investment Advisory Services LLC now owns 120 shares of the railroad operator’s stock worth $28,000 after purchasing an additional 112 shares in the last quarter. Financial Gravity Companies Inc. acquired a new stake in Union Pacific during the 2nd quarter valued at $31,000. Access Investment Management LLC purchased a new stake in Union Pacific in the 2nd quarter worth about $32,000. WPG Advisers LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Union Pacific in the first quarter worth approximately $33,000. Finally, GFG Capital LLC acquired a new position in Union Pacific in the 2nd quarter valued at approximately $38,000. 80.38% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of equities research analysts have recently weighed in on UNP shares. Wells Fargo & Company raised their price target on Union Pacific from $250.00 to $260.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a research note on Friday, July 25th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. lifted their target price on shares of Union Pacific from $265.00 to $267.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a report on Friday, October 24th. BMO Capital Markets cut their price target on Union Pacific from $277.00 to $275.00 and set an “outperform” rating for the company in a report on Friday, October 24th. Royal Bank Of Canada upped their price objective on shares of Union Pacific from $257.00 to $276.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a research report on Wednesday, July 30th. Finally, Argus lowered Union Pacific from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note on Tuesday, August 12th. One research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, sixteen have given a Buy rating and eleven have issued a Hold rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $261.63.

Union Pacific Trading Up 0.1%

Shares of UNP opened at $221.10 on Thursday. The stock has a fifty day moving average price of $224.49 and a two-hundred day moving average price of $224.76. The company has a market cap of $131.15 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 18.78, a PEG ratio of 2.27 and a beta of 1.04. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.75, a quick ratio of 0.60 and a current ratio of 0.75. Union Pacific Corporation has a 52-week low of $204.66 and a 52-week high of $256.84.

Union Pacific (NYSE:UNP) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, October 23rd. The railroad operator reported $3.08 earnings per share for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $2.99 by $0.09. Union Pacific had a net margin of 28.73% and a return on equity of 42.23%. The firm had revenue of $6.24 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $6.24 billion. During the same quarter last year, the company posted $2.75 EPS. The company’s quarterly revenue was up 2.5% compared to the same quarter last year. Analysts predict that Union Pacific Corporation will post 11.99 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Union Pacific Announces Dividend

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, December 30th. Stockholders of record on Friday, December 5th will be given a dividend of $1.38 per share. The ex-dividend date is Friday, December 5th. This represents a $5.52 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 2.5%. Union Pacific’s payout ratio is presently 46.90%.

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.