Lester Murray Antman dba SimplyRich Increases Stock Position in Union Pacific Corporation $UNP

Lester Murray Antman dba SimplyRich lifted its stake in Union Pacific Corporation (NYSE:UNP) by 100.2% in the second quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The firm owned 7,811 shares of the railroad operator’s stock after acquiring an additional 3,910 shares during the quarter. Lester Murray Antman dba SimplyRich’s holdings in Union Pacific were worth $2,125,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission.

Several other hedge funds have also recently made changes to their positions in UNP. Vanguard Group Inc. boosted its holdings in 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 purchasing an additional 659,378 shares during the last quarter. State Street Corp grew 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 period. Capital World Investors raised its stake 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 valued at $4,658,142,000 after buying an additional 9,655,306 shares during the last quarter. Geode Capital Management LLC raised its stake in Union Pacific by 2.0% during 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, Bank of America Corp DE lifted its holdings in shares of Union Pacific by 16.8% during the 1st quarter. Bank of America Corp DE now owns 14,463,071 shares of the railroad operator’s stock valued at $3,509,030,000 after buying an additional 2,084,808 shares during the period. 80.38% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Union Pacific Stock Down 1.4%

UNP opened at $293.57 on Friday. The company has a current ratio of 0.99, a quick ratio of 0.82 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.40. Union Pacific Corporation has a 1-year low of $210.84 and a 1-year high of $315.99. The company has a market capitalization of $174.40 billion, a PE ratio of 23.77, a PEG ratio of 3.04 and a beta of 0.96. The firm’s 50 day simple moving average is $283.00 and its two-hundred day simple moving average is $265.13.

Union Pacific (NYSE:UNP) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, July 23rd. The railroad operator reported $3.41 earnings per share for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $3.26 by $0.15. Union Pacific had a net margin of 28.85% and a return on equity of 38.46%. The business had revenue of $6.86 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $6.72 billion. During the same quarter last year, the company posted $3.03 EPS. The company’s revenue was up 11.5% compared to the same quarter last year. As a group, equities analysts forecast that Union Pacific Corporation will post 12.93 EPS for the current year.

Union Pacific Increases Dividend

The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, September 30th. Investors of record on Monday, August 31st will be issued a $1.42 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Monday, August 31st. This represents a $5.68 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 1.9%. This is an increase from Union Pacific’s previous quarterly dividend of $1.38. Union Pacific’s payout ratio is 44.70%.

Insiders Place Their Bets

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

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

A number of research firms have recently issued reports on UNP. Citizens Jmp began coverage on Union Pacific in a research note on Wednesday, July 15th. They issued an “outperform” rating and a $350.00 price target on the stock. Susquehanna upped their price objective on Union Pacific from $305.00 to $333.00 and gave the company a “positive” rating in a research report on Tuesday, July 14th. Wells Fargo & Company reissued an “overweight” rating and issued a $335.00 target price (up from $315.00) on shares of Union Pacific in a report on Friday, July 24th. Raymond James Financial reissued a “strong-buy” rating on shares of Union Pacific in a research report on Monday, July 13th. Finally, Weiss Ratings upgraded Union Pacific from a “buy (b-)” rating to a “buy (b)” rating in a research note on Friday, July 24th. Two research analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, thirteen have assigned a Buy rating and six have given a Hold rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat, Union Pacific presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $320.89.

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.