Bessemer Group Inc. Acquires 149,158 Shares of Union Pacific Corporation $UNP

Bessemer Group Inc. boosted its holdings in shares of Union Pacific Corporation (NYSE:UNP) by 29.6% in the 3rd quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The firm owned 653,589 shares of the railroad operator’s stock after purchasing an additional 149,158 shares during the quarter. Bessemer Group Inc.’s holdings in Union Pacific were worth $154,488,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

A number of other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in UNP. Howard Hughes Medical Institute acquired a new position in Union Pacific during the 2nd quarter valued at $30,000. Financial Gravity Companies Inc. acquired a new stake in Union Pacific in the 2nd quarter worth $31,000. Total Investment Management Inc. bought a new position in shares of Union Pacific during the 2nd quarter worth about $31,000. Access Investment Management LLC acquired a new position in shares of Union Pacific during the second quarter valued at about $32,000. Finally, Sagard Holdings Management Inc. bought a new stake in shares of Union Pacific in the second quarter valued at about $33,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 80.38% of the company’s stock.

Union Pacific Price Performance

Shares of UNP stock opened at $249.78 on Thursday. The stock’s fifty day simple moving average is $233.05 and its 200 day simple moving average is $227.08. Union Pacific Corporation has a one year low of $204.66 and a one year high of $253.20. The firm has a market cap of $148.16 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 20.87, a P/E/G ratio of 2.63 and a beta of 0.98. 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 released its quarterly earnings data 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 return on equity of 40.89% and a net margin of 29.12%.The company had revenue of $6.09 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $6.15 billion. During the same quarter in the prior year, the company earned $2.91 earnings per share. The business’s revenue was down .6% compared to the same quarter last year. On average, analysts expect that Union Pacific Corporation will post 11.99 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Union Pacific Announces Dividend

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Tuesday, December 30th. Investors 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 2.2%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Friday, December 5th. Union Pacific’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 46.12%.

Analyst Ratings Changes

A number of equities research analysts recently weighed in on UNP shares. The Goldman Sachs Group reissued a “neutral” rating and set a $267.00 target price on shares of Union Pacific in a research report on Tuesday, January 27th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. decreased their price objective on Union Pacific from $270.00 to $265.00 and set a “neutral” rating on the stock in a report on Wednesday, January 28th. Susquehanna restated a “buy” rating on shares of Union Pacific in a research report on Monday, January 19th. Barclays reaffirmed an “overweight” rating and issued a $285.00 target price (up from $270.00) on shares of Union Pacific in a research report on Tuesday, December 16th. Finally, Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft set a $245.00 price target on shares of Union Pacific in a report on Thursday, December 11th. One research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, twelve have issued a Buy rating and eleven have issued a Hold rating to the company’s stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $258.32.

Union Pacific 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.