Ashton Thomas Private Wealth LLC Grows Position in Union Pacific Corporation $UNP

Ashton Thomas Private Wealth LLC lifted its position in shares of Union Pacific Corporation (NYSE:UNP) by 9.6% during the 3rd quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 40,756 shares of the railroad operator’s stock after purchasing an additional 3,580 shares during the quarter. Ashton Thomas Private Wealth LLC’s holdings in Union Pacific were worth $9,634,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission.

Other hedge funds also recently made changes to their positions in the company. Envestnet Portfolio Solutions Inc. boosted its holdings 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 worth $21,475,000 after buying an additional 8,925 shares during the last quarter. Commerzbank Aktiengesellschaft FI raised its position in Union Pacific by 26.4% in the second quarter. Commerzbank Aktiengesellschaft FI now owns 23,875 shares of the railroad operator’s stock worth $5,494,000 after acquiring an additional 4,980 shares during the period. Union Bancaire Privee UBP SA boosted its stake in shares of 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 worth $12,492,000 after acquiring an additional 4,707 shares during the last quarter. CX Institutional grew its position in shares of Union Pacific by 39.8% during the 3rd quarter. CX Institutional now owns 65,826 shares of the railroad operator’s stock valued at $15,559,000 after acquiring an additional 18,742 shares during the period. Finally, AustralianSuper Pty Ltd bought a new stake in shares of Union Pacific during the 3rd quarter valued at $802,000. 80.38% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

Union Pacific Stock Performance

UNP opened at $241.64 on Wednesday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.64, a quick ratio of 0.60 and a current ratio of 0.91. The stock has a market capitalization of $143.33 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 20.19, a PEG ratio of 2.56 and a beta of 0.98. The company has a fifty day moving average of $232.67 and a 200 day moving average of $226.92. Union Pacific Corporation has a fifty-two week low of $204.66 and a fifty-two week high of $253.20.

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

Union Pacific Dividend Announcement

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Tuesday, December 30th. Shareholders of record on Friday, December 5th were issued a dividend of $1.38 per share. This represents a $5.52 annualized dividend and a yield of 2.3%. The ex-dividend date was Friday, December 5th. Union Pacific’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 46.12%.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several analysts have issued reports on UNP shares. Weiss Ratings reissued a “hold (c+)” rating on shares of Union Pacific in a report on Wednesday, January 21st. The Goldman Sachs Group reiterated a “neutral” rating and set a $267.00 price objective on shares of Union Pacific in a research note on Tuesday, January 27th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. decreased their target price on shares of Union Pacific from $270.00 to $265.00 and set a “neutral” rating on the stock in a research note on Wednesday, January 28th. BMO Capital Markets set a $255.00 price target on shares of Union Pacific in a report on Wednesday, January 7th. Finally, TD Cowen reduced their price objective on shares of Union Pacific from $257.00 to $255.00 and set a “buy” rating for the company in a research note on Wednesday, January 28th. One analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, twelve have assigned a Buy rating and eleven have given a Hold rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the company has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $258.32.

About Union Pacific

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.