Union Pacific Corporation (NYSE:UNP) Shares Acquired by Aberdeen Group plc

Aberdeen Group plc grew its holdings in Union Pacific Corporation (NYSE:UNP) by 81.1% in the 1st quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The firm owned 753,347 shares of the railroad operator’s stock after buying an additional 337,473 shares during the quarter. Aberdeen Group plc’s holdings in Union Pacific were worth $176,811,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Several other hedge funds have also modified their holdings of the business. Dimensional Fund Advisors LP lifted its holdings in shares of Union Pacific by 1.8% in the 1st quarter. Dimensional Fund Advisors LP now owns 3,521,749 shares of the railroad operator’s stock valued at $831,825,000 after buying an additional 60,597 shares during the period. Horizon Investments LLC lifted its holdings in shares of Union Pacific by 7.2% in the 1st quarter. Horizon Investments LLC now owns 21,846 shares of the railroad operator’s stock valued at $5,161,000 after buying an additional 1,466 shares during the period. Providence Capital Advisors LLC lifted its holdings in shares of Union Pacific by 5.0% in the 1st quarter. Providence Capital Advisors LLC now owns 26,740 shares of the railroad operator’s stock valued at $6,317,000 after buying an additional 1,281 shares during the period. Trivium Point Advisory LLC lifted its holdings in shares of Union Pacific by 5.9% in the 1st quarter. Trivium Point Advisory LLC now owns 4,177 shares of the railroad operator’s stock valued at $987,000 after buying an additional 233 shares during the period. Finally, Inspire Trust Co. N.A. lifted its holdings in shares of Union Pacific by 8.4% in the 1st quarter. Inspire Trust Co. N.A. now owns 16,700 shares of the railroad operator’s stock valued at $3,945,000 after buying an additional 1,300 shares during the period. 80.38% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

Several research firms have recently commented on UNP. Royal Bank Of Canada raised their price target on Union Pacific from $257.00 to $276.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a report on Wednesday, July 30th. Susquehanna reduced their price objective on Union Pacific from $260.00 to $257.00 and set a “positive” rating for the company in a report on Wednesday, July 30th. Stephens reduced their price objective on Union Pacific from $275.00 to $255.00 and set an “overweight” rating for the company in a report on Monday, April 28th. Jefferies Financial Group raised Union Pacific from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating and lifted their price objective for the stock from $250.00 to $285.00 in a report on Friday, July 25th. Finally, Evercore ISI reduced their price objective on Union Pacific from $244.00 to $238.00 and set an “in-line” rating for the company in a report on Friday, July 25th. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, twelve have issued a hold rating, fourteen have given a buy rating and one has given a strong buy rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat, Union Pacific currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $258.21.

Union Pacific Stock Performance

Union Pacific stock opened at $221.62 on Friday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.86, a quick ratio of 0.53 and a current ratio of 0.65. The stock has a fifty day moving average of $227.11 and a two-hundred day moving average of $229.77. The company has a market capitalization of $131.43 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 19.25, a PEG ratio of 2.17 and a beta of 1.05. Union Pacific Corporation has a fifty-two week low of $204.66 and a fifty-two week high of $258.07.

Union Pacific (NYSE:UNP) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, July 24th. The railroad operator reported $3.03 EPS for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $2.84 by $0.19. The business had revenue of $6.15 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $6.09 billion. Union Pacific had a return on equity of 41.73% and a net margin of 28.43%. The business’s revenue for the quarter was up 2.4% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter in the previous year, the business earned $2.74 earnings per share. On average, analysts anticipate that Union Pacific Corporation will post 11.99 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Union Pacific Increases Dividend

The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, September 30th. Stockholders of record on Friday, August 29th will be given a $1.38 dividend. This is an increase from Union Pacific’s previous quarterly dividend of $1.34. This represents a $5.52 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 2.5%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, August 29th. Union Pacific’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 46.57%.

About Union Pacific

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.