Richards Merrill & Peterson Inc. Reduces Holdings in Union Pacific Corporation $UNP

Richards Merrill & Peterson Inc. lowered its position in Union Pacific Corporation (NYSE:UNP) by 6.6% during the second quarter, according to its most recent filing with the SEC. The institutional investor owned 4,466 shares of the railroad operator’s stock after selling 318 shares during the period. Richards Merrill & Peterson Inc.’s holdings in Union Pacific were worth $1,028,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

A number of other hedge funds have also modified their holdings of the business. CBIZ Investment Advisory Services LLC grew its stake in Union Pacific by 1,400.0% during the 1st quarter. CBIZ Investment Advisory Services LLC now owns 120 shares of the railroad operator’s stock valued at $28,000 after acquiring an additional 112 shares in the last quarter. Financial Gravity Asset Management Inc. acquired a new position in shares of Union Pacific during the 1st quarter worth approximately $32,000. WPG Advisers LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Union Pacific in the first quarter valued at approximately $33,000. GFG Capital LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Union Pacific in the second quarter valued at approximately $38,000. Finally, Cornerstone Planning Group LLC lifted its position in Union Pacific by 50.5% during the first quarter. Cornerstone Planning Group LLC now owns 167 shares of the railroad operator’s stock worth $37,000 after buying an additional 56 shares in the last quarter. 80.38% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Analyst Ratings Changes

Several analysts have issued reports on UNP shares. Susquehanna restated a “positive” rating and issued a $272.00 target price (up from $257.00) on shares of Union Pacific in a report on Thursday, September 25th. Jefferies Financial Group upgraded shares of Union Pacific from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating and raised their price objective for the stock from $250.00 to $285.00 in a research report on Friday, July 25th. Cowen reiterated a “buy” rating on shares of Union Pacific in a report on Friday. Loop Capital raised shares of Union Pacific from a “sell” rating to a “hold” rating and increased their price target for the company from $214.00 to $227.00 in a research note on Tuesday, September 16th. Finally, Barclays cut Union Pacific from an “overweight” rating to an “equal weight” rating in a report on Wednesday, July 30th. One analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, sixteen have given a Buy rating and eleven have given a Hold rating to the company’s stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the company presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $261.63.

Union Pacific Stock Performance

NYSE:UNP opened at $216.56 on Friday. Union Pacific Corporation has a fifty-two week low of $204.66 and a fifty-two week high of $256.84. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.75, a quick ratio of 0.53 and a current ratio of 0.75. The company has a 50 day moving average price of $224.95 and a 200 day moving average price of $224.28. The stock has a market capitalization of $128.44 billion, a P/E ratio of 18.40, a PEG ratio of 2.29 and a beta of 1.07.

Union Pacific (NYSE:UNP) last released its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, October 23rd. The railroad operator reported $3.08 EPS for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $2.99 by $0.09. Union Pacific had a return on equity of 42.23% and a net margin of 28.73%.The company had revenue of $6.24 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $6.24 billion. During the same period in the prior year, the firm earned $2.75 earnings per share. The firm’s revenue was up 2.5% compared to the same quarter last year. Equities research analysts forecast that Union Pacific Corporation will post 11.99 EPS for the current year.

Union Pacific Company Profile

Union Pacific Corporation, through its subsidiary, Union Pacific Railroad Company, operates in the railroad business in the United States. The company offers transportation services for grain and grain products, fertilizers, food and refrigerated products, and coal and renewables to grain processors, animal feeders, ethanol producers, renewable biofuel producers, and other agricultural users; and construction products, industrial chemicals, plastics, forest products, specialized products, metals and ores, petroleum, liquid petroleum gases, soda ash, and sand, as well as finished automobiles, automotive parts, and merchandise in intermodal containers.