CTC Alternative Strategies Ltd. Acquires Shares of 2,500 Union Pacific Corporation $UNP

Key Points

• CTC Alternative Strategies Ltd. has invested approximately $591,000 in Union Pacific Corporation, acquiring 2,500 shares in the first quarter.
• Research analysts exhibit a generally positive outlook on Union Pacific, with a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average price target of $258.21.
• Union Pacific recently increased its quarterly dividend to $1.38 per share, which reflects a yield of 2.5% and a payout ratio of 47.96%.

CTC Alternative Strategies Ltd. purchased a new stake in shares of Union Pacific Corporation (NYSE:UNP - Free Report) during the first quarter, according to its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The firm purchased 2,500 shares of the railroad operator's stock, valued at approximately $591,000.

Other institutional investors and hedge funds have also bought and sold shares of the company. Sherbrooke Park Advisers LLC bought a new position in shares of Union Pacific in the fourth quarter worth approximately $781,000. LGT Group Foundation grew its holdings in shares of Union Pacific by 9.7% in the first quarter. LGT Group Foundation now owns 5,398 shares of the railroad operator's stock worth $1,275,000 after purchasing an additional 477 shares during the last quarter. Nuveen LLC bought a new position in shares of Union Pacific in the first quarter worth approximately $988,822,000. SlateStone Wealth LLC grew its holdings in shares of Union Pacific by 6.2% in the first quarter. SlateStone Wealth LLC now owns 13,264 shares of the railroad operator's stock worth $3,133,000 after purchasing an additional 772 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Meadow Creek Wealth Advisors LLC grew its holdings in shares of Union Pacific by 10.9% in the first quarter. Meadow Creek Wealth Advisors LLC now owns 3,666 shares of the railroad operator's stock worth $866,000 after purchasing an additional 359 shares during the last quarter. 80.38% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

Union Pacific Trading Down 0.5%

UNP stock traded down $1.18 on Wednesday, reaching $214.87. The company's stock had a trading volume of 5,004,712 shares, compared to its average volume of 4,182,723. The business has a fifty day simple moving average of $225.30 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $226.45. Union Pacific Corporation has a 12-month low of $204.66 and a 12-month high of $256.84. The firm has a market cap of $127.43 billion, a PE ratio of 18.67, a PEG ratio of 2.10 and a beta of 1.03. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.86, a quick ratio of 0.53 and a current ratio of 0.65.

Union Pacific (NYSE:UNP - Get Free Report) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, July 24th. The railroad operator reported $3.03 EPS for the quarter, topping 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 company had revenue of $6.15 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $6.09 billion. During the same quarter last year, the firm posted $2.74 earnings per share. The firm's revenue was up 2.4% on a year-over-year basis. As a group, research analysts forecast that Union Pacific Corporation will post 11.99 EPS for the current year.

Union Pacific Increases Dividend

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, September 30th. Shareholders of record on Friday, August 29th will be given a dividend of $1.38 per share. This is an increase from Union Pacific's previous quarterly dividend of $1.34. This represents a $5.52 annualized dividend and a yield of 2.6%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, August 29th. Union Pacific's payout ratio is 47.96%.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several research analysts have recently issued reports on the stock. BMO Capital Markets raised their target price on shares of Union Pacific from $270.00 to $277.00 and gave the stock an "outperform" rating in a report on Friday, July 25th. Royal Bank Of Canada raised their target price on shares of Union Pacific from $257.00 to $276.00 and gave the stock an "outperform" rating in a report on Wednesday, July 30th. The Goldman Sachs Group restated a "neutral" rating and issued a $263.00 target price on shares of Union Pacific in a report on Monday, June 2nd. Susquehanna cut their target price on shares of Union Pacific from $260.00 to $257.00 and set a "positive" rating on the stock in a report on Wednesday, July 30th. Finally, Wells Fargo & Company raised their target price on shares of Union Pacific from $250.00 to $260.00 and gave the stock an "overweight" rating in a report on Friday, July 25th. One analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, fourteen have assigned a Buy rating, ten have given a Hold rating and one has given a Sell rating to the company. According to MarketBeat, Union Pacific presently 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.