Empowered Funds LLC Sells 4,500 Shares of Union Pacific Corporation $UNP

Key Points

• Empowered Funds LLC reduced its stake in Union Pacific Corporation by 10.4% during the first quarter, leaving it with 38,910 shares valued at approximately $9.19 million.
• Union Pacific recently announced a quarterly dividend of $1.38 per share, an increase from the previous $1.34, with an annualized yield of 2.6%.
• Analysts have varying ratings for Union Pacific, with a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and a target price of $258.21, reflecting bullish sentiment despite some downgrades.

Empowered Funds LLC lessened its holdings in shares of Union Pacific Corporation (NYSE:UNP - Free Report) by 10.4% in the first quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 38,910 shares of the railroad operator's stock after selling 4,500 shares during the quarter. Empowered Funds LLC's holdings in Union Pacific were worth $9,192,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

A number of other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also bought and sold shares of the business. Titleist Asset Management LLC grew its stake in shares of Union Pacific by 1.1% in the 1st quarter. Titleist Asset Management LLC now owns 4,004 shares of the railroad operator's stock worth $946,000 after acquiring an additional 44 shares in the last quarter. First Financial Bank Trust Division grew its stake in shares of Union Pacific by 1.7% in the 1st quarter. First Financial Bank Trust Division now owns 2,803 shares of the railroad operator's stock worth $662,000 after acquiring an additional 47 shares in the last quarter. Stiles Financial Services Inc grew its stake in shares of Union Pacific by 1.6% in the 1st quarter. Stiles Financial Services Inc now owns 2,963 shares of the railroad operator's stock worth $700,000 after acquiring an additional 48 shares in the last quarter. Avalon Trust Co grew its stake in shares of Union Pacific by 5.1% in the 1st quarter. Avalon Trust Co now owns 1,004 shares of the railroad operator's stock worth $237,000 after acquiring an additional 49 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Mather Group LLC. grew its stake in shares of Union Pacific by 1.7% in the 1st quarter. Mather Group LLC. now owns 3,041 shares of the railroad operator's stock worth $718,000 after acquiring an additional 50 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors own 80.38% of the company's stock.

Union Pacific Price Performance

Shares of Union Pacific stock traded down $1.31 on Friday, reaching $214.73. The stock had a trading volume of 6,207,235 shares, compared to its average volume of 4,172,178. Union Pacific Corporation has a 1 year low of $204.66 and a 1 year high of $256.84. The company has a market cap of $127.34 billion, a P/E ratio of 18.66, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.10 and a beta of 1.03. The company has a current ratio of 0.65, a quick ratio of 0.53 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.86. The business's 50 day moving average is $224.46 and its two-hundred day moving average is $226.06.

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

Union Pacific Increases Dividend

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, September 30th. Investors of record on Friday, August 29th will be given a $1.38 dividend. This represents a $5.52 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 2.6%. This is a positive change from Union Pacific's previous quarterly dividend of $1.34. The ex-dividend date is Friday, August 29th. Union Pacific's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 47.96%.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

Several equities analysts recently weighed in on UNP shares. UBS Group increased their price target on shares of Union Pacific from $238.00 to $240.00 and gave the company a "neutral" rating in a research report on Friday, July 25th. Raymond James Financial restated a "strong-buy" rating on shares of Union Pacific in a research report on Tuesday, July 15th. Barclays lowered shares of Union Pacific from an "overweight" rating to an "equal weight" rating in a research report on Wednesday, July 30th. The Goldman Sachs Group restated a "neutral" rating and set a $263.00 price target on shares of Union Pacific in a research report on Monday, June 2nd. Finally, Citigroup lowered shares of Union Pacific from a "strong-buy" rating to a "hold" rating and reduced their price target for the company from $270.00 to $250.00 in a research report on Wednesday, July 30th. One analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, fourteen have assigned a Buy rating, ten have assigned a Hold rating and one has issued a Sell rating to the company's stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the company currently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average target price of $258.21.

Union Pacific 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.