Canandaigua National Bank & Trust Co. Buys Shares of 8,428 Union Pacific Corporation $UNP

Canandaigua National Bank & Trust Co. purchased a new stake in Union Pacific Corporation (NYSE:UNP) in the second quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The institutional investor purchased 8,428 shares of the railroad operator’s stock, valued at approximately $2,292,000.

A number of other hedge funds have also modified their holdings of the company. Acadian Asset Management LLC increased its holdings in Union Pacific by 40.4% during the 1st quarter. Acadian Asset Management LLC now owns 2,312 shares of the railroad operator’s stock worth $546,000 after purchasing an additional 665 shares in the last quarter. Schnieders Capital Management LLC. raised its stake in shares of Union Pacific by 0.5% in the 2nd quarter. Schnieders Capital Management LLC. now owns 20,606 shares of the railroad operator’s stock valued at $4,741,000 after purchasing an additional 102 shares during the period. Main Street Financial Solutions LLC lifted its holdings in shares of Union Pacific by 1.6% in the second quarter. Main Street Financial Solutions LLC now owns 3,733 shares of the railroad operator’s stock valued at $859,000 after purchasing an additional 58 shares in the last quarter. HUB Investment Partners LLC lifted its holdings in shares of Union Pacific by 10.0% in the second quarter. HUB Investment Partners LLC now owns 6,091 shares of the railroad operator’s stock valued at $1,401,000 after purchasing an additional 554 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Alliancebernstein L.P. boosted its position in shares of Union Pacific by 7.4% during the second quarter. Alliancebernstein L.P. now owns 1,528,426 shares of the railroad operator’s stock worth $351,660,000 after buying an additional 105,664 shares during the period. 80.38% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Union Pacific Stock Performance

NYSE UNP opened at $296.52 on Wednesday. The company has a current ratio of 0.99, a quick ratio of 0.82 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.40. The firm’s fifty day moving average price is $278.63 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $261.70. Union Pacific Corporation has a 1 year low of $210.84 and a 1 year high of $315.99. The firm has a market capitalization of $176.16 billion, a P/E ratio of 24.01, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.98 and a beta of 0.96.

Union Pacific (NYSE:UNP) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, July 23rd. The railroad operator reported $3.41 EPS for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $3.26 by $0.15. Union Pacific had a net margin of 28.85% and a return on equity of 38.46%. The firm had revenue of $6.86 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $6.72 billion. During the same quarter last year, the company posted $3.03 earnings per share. The company’s revenue for the quarter was up 11.5% compared to the same quarter last year. As a group, research analysts anticipate that Union Pacific Corporation will post 12.9 EPS for the current year.

Union Pacific Increases Dividend

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

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of equities analysts have weighed in on UNP shares. Susquehanna upped their price target 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 lifted their price objective on shares of Union Pacific from $311.00 to $344.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a report on Monday, July 27th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. lifted their price objective on shares of Union Pacific from $304.00 to $334.00 and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a report on Friday, July 24th. The Goldman Sachs Group set a $317.00 price objective on shares of Union Pacific and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a research report on Thursday, July 23rd. Finally, Wells Fargo & Company restated an “overweight” rating and set a $335.00 target price (up from $315.00) on shares of Union Pacific in a report on Friday, July 24th. Two analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, thirteen have given a Buy rating and seven have assigned a Hold rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $320.89.

Insider Transactions at Union Pacific

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

Union Pacific Company 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.