HighTower Advisors LLC Decreases Position in Union Pacific Corporation (NYSE:UNP)

Key Points

• HighTower Advisors LLC has reduced its stake in Union Pacific Corporation by selling 31,055 shares, now holding approximately 578,533 shares worth $136.67 million.
• Union Pacific recently reported earnings per share (EPS) of $3.03 for the last quarter, exceeding analyst expectations, along with a revenue of $6.15 billion.
• The company declared a quarterly dividend increase to $1.38 per share, marking a 2.5% annualized dividend yield, which is up from the previous $1.34 dividend.

HighTower Advisors LLC reduced its stake in Union Pacific Corporation (NYSE:UNP - Free Report) by 5.1% during the 1st quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The firm owned 578,533 shares of the railroad operator's stock after selling 31,055 shares during the period. HighTower Advisors LLC owned approximately 0.10% of Union Pacific worth $136,673,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

Other large investors also recently modified their holdings of the company. Allred Capital Management LLC grew its stake in shares of Union Pacific by 0.5% during the fourth quarter. Allred Capital Management LLC now owns 8,349 shares of the railroad operator's stock worth $1,904,000 after buying an additional 40 shares during the last quarter. Strategic Investment Solutions Inc. IL grew its stake in shares of Union Pacific by 38.8% during the fourth quarter. Strategic Investment Solutions Inc. IL now owns 161 shares of the railroad operator's stock worth $39,000 after buying an additional 45 shares during the last quarter. Foster Dykema Cabot & Partners LLC grew its stake in shares of Union Pacific by 1.6% during the fourth quarter. Foster Dykema Cabot & Partners LLC now owns 2,922 shares of the railroad operator's stock worth $666,000 after buying an additional 47 shares during the last quarter. First Financial Bank Trust Division grew its stake in shares of Union Pacific by 1.7% during the first quarter. First Financial Bank Trust Division now owns 2,803 shares of the railroad operator's stock worth $662,000 after buying an additional 47 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Stiles Financial Services Inc grew its stake in shares of Union Pacific by 1.6% during the first quarter. Stiles Financial Services Inc now owns 2,963 shares of the railroad operator's stock worth $700,000 after buying an additional 48 shares during the last quarter. 80.38% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

Union Pacific Price Performance

NYSE UNP traded down $1.56 on Thursday, hitting $221.62. The stock had a trading volume of 6,245,623 shares, compared to its average volume of 5,492,426. Union Pacific Corporation has a 52-week low of $204.66 and a 52-week high of $258.07. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.86, a quick ratio of 0.53 and a current ratio of 0.65. The company has a market capitalization of $131.43 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 19.25, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.17 and a beta of 1.05. The firm has a 50-day moving average of $227.11 and a 200-day moving average of $229.77.

Union Pacific (NYSE:UNP - Get Free Report) last posted its earnings results on Thursday, July 24th. The railroad operator reported $3.03 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $2.84 by $0.19. The business 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%. The business'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 company posted $2.74 EPS. Equities analysts expect 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. Stockholders 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. The ex-dividend date is Friday, August 29th. This represents a $5.52 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 2.5%. Union Pacific's dividend payout ratio is 46.57%.

Analyst Ratings Changes

UNP has been the topic of several analyst reports. Raymond James Financial reissued a "strong-buy" rating on shares of Union Pacific in a research note on Tuesday, July 15th. Morgan Stanley reduced their price objective on shares of Union Pacific from $220.00 to $215.00 and set an "equal weight" rating on the stock in a research note on Monday, July 7th. Barclays cut shares of Union Pacific from an "overweight" rating to an "equal weight" rating in a research note on Wednesday, July 30th. BMO Capital Markets boosted 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. Finally, Bank of America boosted their price objective on shares of Union Pacific from $256.00 to $262.00 and gave the stock a "buy" rating in a research note on Friday, May 16th. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, twelve have assigned a hold rating, fourteen have assigned a buy rating and one has issued a strong buy rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the stock currently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus price target of $258.21.

About Union Pacific

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.