Great Lakes Advisors LLC Reduces Holdings in Union Pacific Corporation $UNP

Key Points

• Great Lakes Advisors LLC reduced its stake in Union Pacific Corporation by 14.4%, now holding shares worth $2.77 million after selling 1,981 shares.
• Union Pacific recently reported quarterly earnings per share (EPS) of $3.03, exceeding analysts' expectations, along with a revenue of $6.15 billion, a 2.4% increase year-over-year.
• The company announced an increase in its quarterly dividend from $1.34 to $1.38 per share, representing an annualized dividend yield of 2.6%.

Great Lakes Advisors LLC cut its stake in shares of Union Pacific Corporation (NYSE:UNP - Free Report) by 14.4% during the 1st quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the SEC. The institutional investor owned 11,731 shares of the railroad operator's stock after selling 1,981 shares during the period. Great Lakes Advisors LLC's holdings in Union Pacific were worth $2,771,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Several other hedge funds have also bought and sold shares of UNP. Highline Wealth Partners LLC increased its stake in shares of Union Pacific by 103.5% in the first quarter. Highline Wealth Partners LLC now owns 116 shares of the railroad operator's stock worth $27,000 after purchasing an additional 59 shares in the last quarter. Financial Gravity Asset Management Inc. purchased a new position in Union Pacific during the first quarter valued at $32,000. WPG Advisers LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Union Pacific in the first quarter worth about $33,000. Cornerstone Planning Group LLC increased its stake in Union Pacific by 50.5% in the 1st quarter. Cornerstone Planning Group LLC now owns 167 shares of the railroad operator's stock worth $37,000 after acquiring an additional 56 shares during the last quarter. Finally, IMA Advisory Services Inc. bought a new position in shares of Union Pacific during the 1st quarter valued at approximately $43,000. Institutional investors own 80.38% of the company's stock.

Union Pacific Stock Down 0.6%

Shares of UNP traded down $1.31 during midday trading on Friday, reaching $214.73. 6,207,235 shares of the stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 4,172,178. The company has a market capitalization of $127.34 billion, a P/E ratio of 18.66, a PEG 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. Union Pacific Corporation has a 52 week low of $204.66 and a 52 week high of $256.84. The company'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 released its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, July 24th. The railroad operator reported $3.03 earnings per share for the quarter, topping analysts' consensus estimates of $2.84 by $0.19. The company had revenue of $6.15 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $6.09 billion. Union Pacific had a net margin of 28.43% and a return on equity of 41.73%. The firm'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 firm earned $2.74 earnings per share. On average, sell-side analysts anticipate that Union Pacific Corporation will post 11.99 earnings per share for the current year.

Union Pacific Increases Dividend

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

Analyst Ratings Changes

A number of brokerages have commented on UNP. BMO Capital Markets lifted their price objective on shares of Union Pacific from $270.00 to $277.00 and gave the stock an "outperform" rating in a research note on Friday, July 25th. Evercore ISI cut their target price on Union Pacific from $244.00 to $238.00 and set an "in-line" rating on the stock in a research note on Friday, July 25th. Sanford C. Bernstein raised their price target on Union Pacific from $271.00 to $286.00 and gave the stock an "outperform" rating in a research note on Monday, July 21st. Baird R W upgraded Union Pacific to a "hold" rating in a report on Tuesday, July 1st. Finally, The Goldman Sachs Group reiterated a "neutral" rating and issued a $263.00 target price on shares of Union Pacific in a research note on Monday, June 2nd. One analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, fourteen have given a Buy rating, ten have given a Hold rating and one has given a Sell rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus price target 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.