Bank of Nova Scotia Acquires 45,813 Shares of Union Pacific Corporation $UNP

Bank of Nova Scotia grew its holdings in Union Pacific Corporation (NYSE:UNP) by 19.2% in the first quarter, according to the company in its most recent Form 13F filing with the SEC. The institutional investor owned 284,453 shares of the railroad operator’s stock after buying an additional 45,813 shares during the quarter. Bank of Nova Scotia’s holdings in Union Pacific were worth $69,014,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Other institutional investors and hedge funds have also added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Vanguard Group Inc. raised its stake in shares of Union Pacific by 1.1% in the fourth quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 59,329,262 shares of the railroad operator’s stock worth $13,724,045,000 after acquiring an additional 659,378 shares during the last quarter. State Street Corp raised its position in Union Pacific by 4.3% in the 4th quarter. State Street Corp now owns 26,330,080 shares of the railroad operator’s stock worth $6,090,674,000 after purchasing an additional 1,082,285 shares during the last quarter. Capital World Investors lifted its holdings in Union Pacific by 92.1% during the 4th quarter. Capital World Investors now owns 20,136,349 shares of the railroad operator’s stock worth $4,658,142,000 after buying an additional 9,655,306 shares in the last quarter. Geode Capital Management LLC boosted its position in Union Pacific by 2.0% in the 4th quarter. Geode Capital Management LLC now owns 15,360,668 shares of the railroad operator’s stock valued at $3,552,550,000 after buying an additional 296,814 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Morgan Stanley increased its stake in shares of Union Pacific by 5.0% in the 4th quarter. Morgan Stanley now owns 12,636,050 shares of the railroad operator’s stock valued at $2,922,971,000 after buying an additional 602,647 shares during the period. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 80.38% of the company’s stock.

Analyst Ratings Changes

A number of equities research analysts have recently weighed in on UNP shares. BMO Capital Markets restated a “market perform” rating and set a $320.00 target price (up from $285.00) on shares of Union Pacific in a research report on Friday. Wells Fargo & Company reissued an “overweight” rating and set a $335.00 price objective (up from $315.00) on shares of Union Pacific in a report on Friday. Bank of America upped their target price on shares of Union Pacific from $301.00 to $334.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research report on Thursday. Barclays reaffirmed an “overweight” rating and issued a $350.00 target price (up from $315.00) on shares of Union Pacific in a research note on Friday. Finally, TD Cowen reissued a “buy” rating and set a $325.00 price target (up from $282.00) on shares of Union Pacific in a research note on Friday. Two investment analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, thirteen have given a Buy rating and seven have given a Hold rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, Union Pacific presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $319.16.

Union Pacific Stock Up 1.1%

Union Pacific stock opened at $307.54 on Friday. The company has a 50 day moving average of $275.12 and a 200-day moving average of $258.32. The company has a quick ratio of 0.73, a current ratio of 0.99 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.40. Union Pacific Corporation has a twelve month low of $210.84 and a twelve month high of $315.99. The stock has a market capitalization of $182.59 billion, a PE ratio of 24.90, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 3.18 and a beta of 0.96.

Union Pacific (NYSE:UNP) last announced its earnings results on Thursday, July 23rd. The railroad operator reported $3.41 earnings per share for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $3.26 by $0.15. The firm had revenue of $6.86 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $6.72 billion. Union Pacific had a net margin of 28.85% and a return on equity of 38.46%. The company’s revenue for the quarter was up 11.5% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period in the prior year, the business earned $3.03 EPS. On average, equities research analysts anticipate that Union Pacific Corporation will post 12.64 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Union Pacific Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Tuesday, June 30th. Shareholders of record on Friday, May 29th were given a dividend of $1.38 per share. This represents a $5.52 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 1.8%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Friday, May 29th. Union Pacific’s payout ratio is 45.47%.

Key Headlines Impacting Union Pacific

Here are the key news stories impacting Union Pacific this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Union Pacific reported better-than-expected Q2 results, with adjusted EPS of $3.41 and revenue of $6.86 billion, both ahead of Wall Street estimates, reinforcing confidence in operating momentum and pricing power.
• Positive Sentiment: Analysts turned more constructive after the earnings beat, with Citigroup, JPMorgan, Benchmark, and Bank of America all raising price targets, suggesting expectations for further upside in the stock.
• Positive Sentiment: Union Pacific and Canadian National reached a binding access agreement tied to the proposed Norfolk Southern merger, easing competition concerns and improving the odds of regulatory approval while also giving UNP better Chicago routing efficiency and expanded corridor access. Article Title
• Neutral Sentiment: The broader news flow also highlighted that the merger and access agreement may reshape North American rail traffic patterns, but the deal still depends on Surface Transportation Board approval and final closing.
• Neutral Sentiment: Several articles noted Union Pacific’s record freight revenue and improved efficiency, which supports the bullish case but is already partly reflected in the recent rally.

Insider Buying and Selling at Union Pacific

In related news, EVP Eric J. Gehringer sold 2,991 shares of the stock in a transaction on Wednesday, June 3rd. The stock was sold at an average price of $263.96, for a total value of $789,504.36. Following the sale, the executive vice president owned 43,012 shares in the company, valued at approximately $11,353,447.52. This represents a 6.50% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through the SEC website. Insiders own 0.22% of the company’s stock.

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.