Aberdeen Group plc Decreases Holdings in Union Pacific Corporation $UNP

Aberdeen Group plc lowered its holdings in shares of Union Pacific Corporation (NYSE:UNP) by 1.7% in the 3rd quarter, Holdings Channel.com reports. The firm owned 782,594 shares of the railroad operator’s stock after selling 13,753 shares during the quarter. Aberdeen Group plc’s holdings in Union Pacific were worth $184,833,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission.

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

Analysts Set New Price Targets

A number of brokerages have recently weighed in on UNP. TD Cowen cut their price objective on Union Pacific from $257.00 to $255.00 and set a “buy” rating for the company in a research report on Wednesday, January 28th. Citigroup reissued a “buy” rating and issued a $270.00 price objective (up from $265.00) on shares of Union Pacific in a research note on Wednesday, January 28th. Susquehanna reissued a “buy” rating on shares of Union Pacific in a research note on Monday, January 19th. BMO Capital Markets set a $255.00 price target on Union Pacific in a report on Wednesday, January 7th. Finally, Barclays reaffirmed an “overweight” rating and set a $285.00 price objective (up from $270.00) on shares of Union Pacific in a research note on Tuesday, December 16th. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, thirteen have given a Buy rating and ten have assigned a Hold rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat, the company currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $258.32.

Union Pacific Stock Performance

Shares of UNP stock opened at $260.55 on Friday. 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 firm has a market cap of $154.61 billion, a P/E ratio of 21.77, a P/E/G ratio of 2.84 and a beta of 0.98. The firm’s 50 day moving average price is $236.44 and its 200-day moving average price is $228.63. Union Pacific Corporation has a one year low of $204.66 and a one year high of $265.37.

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

Union Pacific Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, March 31st. Investors of record on Friday, February 27th will be paid a dividend of $1.38 per share. The ex-dividend date is Friday, February 27th. This represents a $5.52 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 2.1%. Union Pacific’s dividend payout ratio is currently 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.