Douglass Winthrop Advisors LLC Increases Holdings in Union Pacific Corporation $UNP

Key Points

• Douglass Winthrop Advisors increased its stake in Union Pacific by 77.5% in Q3 to 23,412 shares, worth about $5.53 million after buying an additional 10,222 shares.
• Union Pacific slightly missed quarterly estimates (EPS $2.86 vs $2.92; revenue $6.09B vs $6.15B) but retains strong profitability (net margin 29.1%, ROE 40.9%) and a consensus "Moderate Buy" analyst rating with an average target of $263.77.
• The company declared a quarterly dividend of $1.38 (annualized $5.52, ~2.2% yield), and institutional investors own about 80.4% of the stock, including large new positions like CBRE's ~$174 million purchase.

Douglass Winthrop Advisors LLC boosted its position in Union Pacific Corporation (NYSE:UNP - Free Report) by 77.5% during the third quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The fund owned 23,412 shares of the railroad operator's stock after buying an additional 10,222 shares during the period. Douglass Winthrop Advisors LLC's holdings in Union Pacific were worth $5,534,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission.

Other hedge funds and other institutional investors also recently bought and sold shares of the company. Cbre Investment Management Listed Real Assets LLC purchased a new position in Union Pacific during the 3rd quarter worth approximately $174,127,000. BOKF NA raised its holdings in shares of Union Pacific by 0.6% during the third quarter. BOKF NA now owns 86,386 shares of the railroad operator's stock worth $20,419,000 after purchasing an additional 515 shares during the last quarter. SevenBridge Financial Group LLC raised its holdings in shares of Union Pacific by 17.3% during the third quarter. SevenBridge Financial Group LLC now owns 19,409 shares of the railroad operator's stock worth $4,339,000 after purchasing an additional 2,862 shares during the last quarter. Duff & Phelps Investment Management Co. lifted its position in Union Pacific by 77.3% during the third quarter. Duff & Phelps Investment Management Co. now owns 153,928 shares of the railroad operator's stock valued at $36,384,000 after purchasing an additional 67,118 shares during the period. Finally, Connor Clark & Lunn Investment Management Ltd. lifted its position in Union Pacific by 163.2% during the third quarter. Connor Clark & Lunn Investment Management Ltd. now owns 151,358 shares of the railroad operator's stock valued at $35,776,000 after purchasing an additional 93,860 shares during the period. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 80.38% of the company's stock.

Union Pacific Trading Up 0.4%

Shares of Union Pacific stock opened at $251.21 on Thursday. The firm has a 50-day simple moving average of $246.01 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $233.53. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.64, a quick ratio of 0.75 and a current ratio of 0.91. Union Pacific Corporation has a fifty-two week low of $204.66 and a fifty-two week high of $268.14. The company has a market cap of $149.06 billion, a P/E ratio of 20.99, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.73 and a beta of 0.95.

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

Union Pacific Dividend Announcement

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

Analyst Ratings Changes

UNP has been the topic of several analyst reports. The Goldman Sachs Group reaffirmed a "neutral" rating and set a $267.00 price target on shares of Union Pacific in a research report on Tuesday, January 27th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. decreased their price objective on Union Pacific from $270.00 to $265.00 and set a "neutral" rating for the company in a report on Wednesday, January 28th. Citigroup reaffirmed a "buy" rating and set a $270.00 target price (up from $265.00) on shares of Union Pacific in a report on Wednesday, January 28th. Barclays reiterated an "overweight" rating and set a $285.00 price target (up from $270.00) on shares of Union Pacific in a research report on Tuesday, December 16th. Finally, Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft set a $245.00 price target on Union Pacific in a report on Thursday, December 11th. One research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, fourteen have given a Buy rating and nine have given 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 $263.77.

Union Pacific 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.

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