Blair William & Co. IL Lowers Position in Union Pacific Corporation $UNP

Key Points

• Blair William & Co. IL has reduced its position in Union Pacific Corporation by 3.8%, now owning 497,859 shares valued at approximately $114.5 million.
• Union Pacific reported earnings of $3.03 per share for the most recent quarter, exceeding expectations and showing a year-over-year revenue increase of 2.4% to $6.15 billion.
• The company recently increased its quarterly dividend to $1.38, marking an annualized dividend of $5.52 with a yield of 2.4% and a dividend payout ratio of 47.96%.

Blair William & Co. IL trimmed its position in Union Pacific Corporation (NYSE:UNP - Free Report) by 3.8% during the 2nd quarter, according to the company in its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The firm owned 497,859 shares of the railroad operator's stock after selling 19,538 shares during the period. Blair William & Co. IL owned 0.08% of Union Pacific worth $114,547,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

A number of other institutional investors have also added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Highline Wealth Partners LLC boosted its holdings in shares of Union Pacific by 103.5% during the 1st quarter. Highline Wealth Partners LLC now owns 116 shares of the railroad operator's stock valued at $27,000 after buying an additional 59 shares in the last quarter. CBIZ Investment Advisory Services LLC lifted its position in Union Pacific by 1,400.0% during the 1st quarter. CBIZ Investment Advisory Services LLC now owns 120 shares of the railroad operator's stock valued at $28,000 after acquiring an additional 112 shares during the period. Financial Gravity Asset Management Inc. bought a new stake in Union Pacific during the first quarter worth about $32,000. WPG Advisers LLC bought a new stake in Union Pacific during the first quarter worth about $33,000. Finally, Cornerstone Planning Group LLC grew its holdings in Union Pacific by 50.5% in the first 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. Institutional investors own 80.38% of the company's stock.

Union Pacific Stock Performance

Shares of UNP opened at $232.72 on Thursday. The company has a market cap of $138.03 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 20.22, a P/E/G ratio of 2.41 and a beta of 1.07. The business's fifty day simple moving average is $224.14 and its two-hundred day simple moving average is $224.57. Union Pacific Corporation has a 12 month low of $204.66 and a 12 month high of $256.84. The company has a current ratio of 0.65, a quick ratio of 0.53 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.86.

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

Union Pacific Increases Dividend

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Tuesday, September 30th. Stockholders of record on Friday, August 29th were paid a $1.38 dividend. This is a boost 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 2.4%. The ex-dividend date was Friday, August 29th. Union Pacific's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 47.96%.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several equities analysts have recently issued reports on UNP shares. Raymond James Financial reiterated a "strong-buy" rating on shares of Union Pacific in a report on Tuesday, July 15th. Argus cut Union Pacific from a "buy" rating to a "hold" rating in a research note on Tuesday, August 12th. Loop Capital raised Union Pacific from a "sell" rating to a "hold" rating and boosted their target price for the stock from $214.00 to $227.00 in a report on Tuesday, September 16th. Sanford C. Bernstein increased their target price on Union Pacific from $271.00 to $286.00 and gave the stock an "outperform" rating in a research note on Monday, July 21st. Finally, Royal Bank Of Canada lifted their price target on Union Pacific from $257.00 to $276.00 and gave the stock an "outperform" rating in a research report on Wednesday, July 30th. One research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, fifteen have issued a Buy rating and eleven have assigned a Hold rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the stock presently has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average price target of $261.08.

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.

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