AustralianSuper Pty Ltd Invests $802,000 in Union Pacific Corporation $UNP

AustralianSuper Pty Ltd purchased a new stake in shares of Union Pacific Corporation (NYSE:UNP) during the third quarter, Holdings Channel.com reports. The firm purchased 3,391 shares of the railroad operator’s stock, valued at approximately $802,000.

Other large investors have also added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Envestnet Portfolio Solutions Inc. increased its position in shares of Union Pacific by 10.6% in the second quarter. Envestnet Portfolio Solutions Inc. now owns 93,337 shares of the railroad operator’s stock valued at $21,475,000 after buying an additional 8,925 shares in the last quarter. Commerzbank Aktiengesellschaft FI grew its holdings in shares of Union Pacific by 26.4% during the second quarter. Commerzbank Aktiengesellschaft FI now owns 23,875 shares of the railroad operator’s stock worth $5,494,000 after buying an additional 4,980 shares in the last quarter. Union Bancaire Privee UBP SA grew its stake in Union Pacific by 9.8% during the 3rd quarter. Union Bancaire Privee UBP SA now owns 52,849 shares of the railroad operator’s stock valued at $12,492,000 after acquiring an additional 4,707 shares in the last quarter. CX Institutional grew its position in shares of Union Pacific by 39.8% in the third quarter. CX Institutional now owns 65,826 shares of the railroad operator’s stock valued at $15,559,000 after purchasing an additional 18,742 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Pacific Capital Partners Ltd purchased a new stake in Union Pacific in the 3rd quarter valued at $1,664,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 80.38% of the company’s stock.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

UNP has been the subject of several analyst reports. Raymond James Financial reissued a “strong-buy” rating on shares of Union Pacific in a research note on Tuesday. JPMorgan Chase & Co. decreased their target price on Union Pacific from $270.00 to $265.00 and set a “neutral” rating on the stock in a research note on Wednesday. Susquehanna reiterated a “buy” rating on shares of Union Pacific in a report on Monday, January 19th. BMO Capital Markets set a $255.00 price target on Union Pacific in a research report on Wednesday, January 7th. Finally, Barclays restated an “overweight” rating and issued a $285.00 price objective (up from $270.00) on shares of Union Pacific in a report on Tuesday, December 16th. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, twelve have issued a Buy rating and eleven have assigned a Hold rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat.com, Union Pacific has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $258.32.

Union Pacific Stock Up 0.7%

Shares of NYSE:UNP opened at $235.14 on Friday. Union Pacific Corporation has a 1-year low of $204.66 and a 1-year high of $253.20. The stock has a market cap of $139.48 billion, a P/E ratio of 19.64, a P/E/G ratio of 2.57 and a beta of 0.99. The firm has a fifty day moving average price of $232.21 and a 200 day moving average price of $226.81. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.64, a current ratio of 0.91 and a quick ratio of 0.60.

Union Pacific (NYSE:UNP) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, January 27th. The railroad operator reported $2.86 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $2.92 by ($0.06). Union Pacific had a net margin of 29.12% and a return on equity of 40.89%. The company had revenue of $6.09 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $6.15 billion. During the same quarter last year, the firm earned $2.91 EPS. The business’s revenue was down .6% on a year-over-year basis. Sell-side analysts predict that Union Pacific Corporation will post 11.99 EPS for the current year.

Union Pacific Dividend Announcement

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Tuesday, December 30th. Stockholders of record on Friday, December 5th were issued a $1.38 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Friday, December 5th. This represents a $5.52 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 2.3%. Union Pacific’s payout ratio is presently 46.12%.

Union Pacific Company Profile

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.