Rakuten Investment Management Inc. Purchases Shares of 5,567 Union Pacific Corporation $UNP

Rakuten Investment Management Inc. acquired a new position in Union Pacific Corporation (NYSE:UNP) in the third quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The fund acquired 5,567 shares of the railroad operator’s stock, valued at approximately $1,316,000.

Other large investors have also modified their holdings of the company. Norges Bank bought a new position in Union Pacific in the 2nd quarter worth $1,856,340,000. Laurel Wealth Advisors LLC increased its stake in shares of Union Pacific by 22,618.2% in the second quarter. Laurel Wealth Advisors LLC now owns 2,624,636 shares of the railroad operator’s stock worth $603,876,000 after purchasing an additional 2,613,083 shares during the period. Amundi lifted its position in shares of Union Pacific by 35.6% during the 2nd quarter. Amundi now owns 4,782,577 shares of the railroad operator’s stock worth $1,134,236,000 after purchasing an additional 1,255,231 shares during the last quarter. Rothschild & Co Wealth Management UK Ltd boosted its stake in Union Pacific by 3,536.2% during the 2nd quarter. Rothschild & Co Wealth Management UK Ltd now owns 1,011,677 shares of the railroad operator’s stock valued at $232,767,000 after purchasing an additional 983,855 shares during the period. Finally, Arrowstreet Capital Limited Partnership grew its holdings in Union Pacific by 32.8% in the 2nd quarter. Arrowstreet Capital Limited Partnership now owns 3,152,042 shares of the railroad operator’s stock valued at $725,222,000 after buying an additional 778,411 shares during the last quarter. 80.38% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

Union Pacific Trading Down 0.7%

Shares of UNP stock opened at $229.67 on Friday. The firm has a fifty day moving average of $231.23 and a 200-day moving average of $226.87. The stock has a market cap of $136.23 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 19.51, a P/E/G ratio of 2.65 and a beta of 0.99. Union Pacific Corporation has a 52-week low of $204.66 and a 52-week high of $256.84. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.75, a quick ratio of 0.60 and a current ratio of 0.75.

Union Pacific (NYSE:UNP) last posted its earnings results on Thursday, October 23rd. The railroad operator reported $3.08 earnings per share for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $2.99 by $0.09. Union Pacific had a net margin of 28.73% and a return on equity of 42.23%. The business had revenue of $6.24 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $6.24 billion. During the same quarter in the previous year, the firm posted $2.75 earnings per share. The firm’s revenue for the quarter was up 2.5% on a year-over-year basis. On average, equities research analysts forecast that Union Pacific Corporation will post 11.99 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Union Pacific Dividend Announcement

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Tuesday, December 30th. Stockholders of record on Friday, December 5th were paid a $1.38 dividend. This represents a $5.52 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 2.4%. The ex-dividend date was Friday, December 5th. Union Pacific’s dividend payout ratio is currently 46.90%.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

A number of research analysts have recently commented on the company. Susquehanna reiterated a “buy” rating on shares of Union Pacific in a report on Monday, January 19th. Barclays reiterated an “overweight” rating and set a $285.00 target price (up from $270.00) on shares of Union Pacific in a research note on Tuesday, December 16th. UBS Group set a $253.00 price target on shares of Union Pacific and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a research report on Friday, October 3rd. Citigroup set a $264.00 price objective on shares of Union Pacific and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research report on Thursday, January 8th. Finally, Weiss Ratings reiterated a “hold (c+)” rating on shares of Union Pacific in a research note on Wednesday. One analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, twelve have assigned a Buy rating and eleven have issued a Hold rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat, Union Pacific currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $258.18.

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.