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

Key Points

• Blair William & Co. IL trimmed its position in Union Pacific by 2.8% in Q3, selling 13,858 shares and finishing the quarter with 484,001 shares valued at about $114.4 million (≈0.08% of UNP).
• Union Pacific missed the latest quarter's estimates, reporting EPS of $2.86 versus a $2.92 consensus and revenue of $6.09 billion, down 0.6% year-over-year and below the $6.15 billion estimate.
• The company pays a quarterly dividend of $1.38 ($5.52 annual, ~2.2% yield), and Wall Street's consensus rating is a Moderate Buy with an average price target of $263.77.

Blair William & Co. IL cut its position in Union Pacific Corporation (NYSE:UNP - Free Report) by 2.8% during the third quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the SEC. The firm owned 484,001 shares of the railroad operator's stock after selling 13,858 shares during the period. Blair William & Co. IL owned approximately 0.08% of Union Pacific worth $114,403,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Several other institutional investors have also recently modified their holdings of UNP. Caitlin John LLC purchased a new stake in Union Pacific in the third quarter valued at approximately $27,000. Howard Hughes Medical Institute purchased a new position in Union Pacific during the 2nd quarter worth approximately $30,000. Financial Gravity Companies Inc. purchased a new position in Union Pacific during the 2nd quarter worth approximately $31,000. Total Investment Management Inc. acquired a new stake in Union Pacific during the 2nd quarter valued at approximately $31,000. Finally, Sagard Holdings Management Inc. purchased a new stake in shares of Union Pacific in the 2nd quarter valued at $33,000. 80.38% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Union Pacific Price Performance

Shares of NYSE UNP opened at $253.98 on Friday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.64, a current ratio of 0.91 and a quick ratio of 0.75. The stock has a market capitalization of $150.71 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 21.22, a PEG ratio of 2.84 and a beta of 0.95. The firm's 50 day simple moving average is $244.90 and its 200-day simple moving average is $232.93. Union Pacific Corporation has a 12 month low of $204.66 and a 12 month high of $268.14.

Union Pacific (NYSE:UNP - Get Free Report) last posted its earnings results on Tuesday, January 27th. The railroad operator reported $2.86 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $2.92 by ($0.06). Union Pacific had a net margin of 29.12% and a return on equity of 40.89%. The firm had revenue of $6.09 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $6.15 billion. During the same quarter in the prior year, the firm earned $2.91 earnings per share. The business's revenue for the quarter was down .6% on a year-over-year basis. Analysts expect that Union Pacific Corporation will post 11.99 EPS for the current year.

Union Pacific Dividend Announcement

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, March 31st. Shareholders of record on Friday, February 27th will be given a $1.38 dividend. The ex-dividend date is Friday, February 27th. This represents a $5.52 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 2.2%. Union Pacific's dividend payout ratio is 46.12%.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

A number of research firms have recently weighed in on UNP. Royal Bank Of Canada set a $280.00 price objective on shares of Union Pacific in a research note on Thursday, December 18th. Barclays restated an "overweight" rating and set a $285.00 target price (up from $270.00) on shares of Union Pacific in a research report on Tuesday, December 16th. Susquehanna reaffirmed a "buy" rating on shares of Union Pacific in a research report on Monday, January 19th. BMO Capital Markets reiterated a "market perform" rating and set a $295.00 price objective on shares of Union Pacific in a research note on Thursday, February 19th. Finally, Weiss Ratings raised Union Pacific from a "hold (c+)" rating to a "buy (b-)" rating in a report on Friday, February 6th. One research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, fourteen have issued a Buy rating and nine have assigned a Hold rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat, Union Pacific currently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus price target of $263.77.

About Union Pacific

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.

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