Alberta Investment Management Corp Buys 37,218 Shares of Union Pacific Corporation (NYSE:UNP)

Key Points

• Alberta Investment Management Corp increased its stake in Union Pacific Corporation by 102.4%, acquiring 37,218 additional shares, resulting in total holdings of 73,578 shares valued at approximately $17.38 million.
• Union Pacific recently announced a dividend increase to $1.38 per share, yielding 2.5%, up from the previous quarter’s $1.34.
• In its latest quarterly earnings, Union Pacific reported an EPS of $3.03, exceeding the estimate of $2.84, with a year-over-year revenue increase of 2.4%.

Alberta Investment Management Corp raised its stake in shares of Union Pacific Corporation (NYSE:UNP - Free Report) by 102.4% in the first quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The fund owned 73,578 shares of the railroad operator's stock after buying an additional 37,218 shares during the period. Alberta Investment Management Corp's holdings in Union Pacific were worth $17,382,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Several other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also recently modified their holdings of the company. Highline Wealth Partners LLC lifted its holdings in Union Pacific by 103.5% in the first quarter. Highline Wealth Partners LLC now owns 116 shares of the railroad operator's stock valued at $27,000 after acquiring an additional 59 shares during the period. EnRich Financial Partners LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Union Pacific during the 4th quarter valued at about $31,000. Financial Gravity Asset Management Inc. purchased a new stake in shares of Union Pacific during the 1st quarter valued at about $32,000. Cornerstone Planning Group LLC lifted its stake in shares of Union Pacific by 50.5% in the 1st quarter. Cornerstone Planning Group LLC now owns 167 shares of the railroad operator's stock worth $37,000 after purchasing an additional 56 shares during the period. Finally, Strategic Investment Solutions Inc. IL boosted its holdings in shares of Union Pacific by 38.8% in the fourth quarter. Strategic Investment Solutions Inc. IL now owns 161 shares of the railroad operator's stock worth $39,000 after buying an additional 45 shares during the last quarter. 80.38% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

Union Pacific Stock Performance

UNP opened at $222.16 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 market capitalization of $131.75 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 19.30, a PEG ratio of 2.30 and a beta of 1.05. The company has a fifty day moving average of $227.09 and a 200 day moving average of $230.93. 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 - Get Free Report) last released its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, July 24th. The railroad operator reported $3.03 EPS for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $2.84 by $0.19. Union Pacific had a net margin of 28.43% and a return on equity of 41.73%. The business had revenue of $6.15 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $6.09 billion. During the same quarter in the prior year, the firm earned $2.74 EPS. The business's revenue was up 2.4% on a year-over-year basis. As a group, sell-side analysts forecast that Union Pacific Corporation will post 11.99 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Union Pacific Increases Dividend

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, September 30th. Shareholders of record on Friday, August 29th will be issued a dividend of $1.38 per share. The ex-dividend date is Friday, August 29th. This represents a $5.52 annualized dividend and a yield of 2.5%. This is a boost from Union Pacific's previous quarterly dividend of $1.34. Union Pacific's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 46.57%.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

Several analysts recently issued reports on the stock. Sanford C. Bernstein boosted their target price on shares of Union Pacific from $271.00 to $286.00 and gave the company an "outperform" rating in a research report on Monday, July 21st. Bank of America lifted their price target on shares of Union Pacific from $256.00 to $262.00 and gave the stock a "buy" rating in a research note on Friday, May 16th. Citigroup lowered Union Pacific from a "strong-buy" rating to a "hold" rating and reduced their price objective for the stock from $270.00 to $250.00 in a research note on Wednesday. The Goldman Sachs Group reaffirmed a "neutral" rating and issued a $263.00 target price on shares of Union Pacific in a report on Monday, June 2nd. Finally, Morgan Stanley lowered their target price on Union Pacific from $220.00 to $215.00 and set an "equal weight" rating on the stock in a research report on Monday, July 7th. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, eleven have assigned a hold rating, fourteen have assigned a buy rating and two have given a strong buy rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average target price of $258.21.

Union Pacific Company Profile

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.

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