Proficio Capital Partners LLC Invests $716,000 in Union Pacific Corporation $UNP

Proficio Capital Partners LLC bought a new position in Union Pacific Corporation (NYSE:UNP) in the 2nd quarter, Holdings Channel.com reports. The firm bought 2,633 shares of the railroad operator’s stock, valued at approximately $716,000.

A number of other institutional investors have also added to or reduced their stakes in UNP. Capital World Investors lifted its stake in Union Pacific by 92.1% during the fourth quarter. Capital World Investors now owns 20,136,349 shares of the railroad operator’s stock worth $4,658,142,000 after purchasing an additional 9,655,306 shares during the last quarter. Norges Bank purchased a new position in shares of Union Pacific in the 4th quarter worth about $1,779,907,000. Legal & General Group Plc bought a new position in shares of Union Pacific during the 2nd quarter valued at about $1,193,135,000. Canada Pension Plan Investment Board bought a new position in shares of Union Pacific during the 2nd quarter valued at about $1,094,677,000. Finally, UBS AM A Distinct Business Unit of UBS Asset Management Americas LLC raised its holdings in shares of Union Pacific by 72.7% during the 3rd quarter. UBS AM A Distinct Business Unit of UBS Asset Management Americas LLC now owns 9,177,002 shares of the railroad operator’s stock valued at $2,169,168,000 after buying an additional 3,861,636 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors own 80.38% of the company’s stock.

Union Pacific Trading Down 3.5%

NYSE UNP opened at $290.29 on Wednesday. The firm has a market cap of $172.46 billion, a PE ratio of 23.51, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.99 and a beta of 0.96. Union Pacific Corporation has a 1-year low of $210.84 and a 1-year high of $315.99. The stock has a 50-day moving average of $292.52 and a 200-day moving average of $270.39. 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 (NYSE:UNP) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, July 23rd. The railroad operator reported $3.41 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $3.26 by $0.15. The business had revenue of $6.86 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $6.72 billion. Union Pacific had a return on equity of 38.46% and a net margin of 28.85%.Union Pacific’s revenue for the quarter was up 11.5% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period last year, the company earned $3.03 EPS. As a group, sell-side analysts forecast that Union Pacific Corporation will post 13.02 EPS for the current year.

Union Pacific Increases Dividend

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, September 30th. Stockholders of record on Monday, August 31st will be paid a dividend of $1.42 per share. This represents a $5.68 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 2.0%. This is a boost from Union Pacific’s previous quarterly dividend of $1.38. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Monday, August 31st. Union Pacific’s payout ratio is currently 45.99%.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of analysts recently weighed in on the company. Susquehanna boosted their target price on Union Pacific from $305.00 to $333.00 and gave the stock a “positive” rating in a research report on Tuesday, July 14th. Robert W. Baird increased their price target on shares of Union Pacific from $311.00 to $344.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a research report on Monday, July 27th. Raymond James Financial reissued a “strong-buy” rating on shares of Union Pacific in a research note on Monday, July 13th. Evercore restated an “outperform” rating and issued a $294.00 price objective on shares of Union Pacific in a report on Thursday, June 25th. Finally, BMO Capital Markets reaffirmed a “market perform” rating and issued a $320.00 price objective (up from $285.00) on shares of Union Pacific in a research note on Friday, July 24th. Two research analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, fourteen have assigned a Buy rating and six have assigned a Hold rating to the company’s stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, Union Pacific has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $320.89.

Union Pacific 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.