Woodline Partners LP Trims Position in Union Pacific Corporation $UNP

Key Points

• Woodline Partners LP significantly reduced its stake in Union Pacific Corporation by 65.1%, now holding 28,008 shares worth approximately $6.62 million as of the last quarter.
• Union Pacific recently reported a quarterly earnings per share (EPS) of $3.03, exceeding analysts' expectations, along with a 2.4% increase in revenue year-over-year.
• The company announced a quarterly dividend increase to $1.38 per share, reflecting a 2.6% yield, with the ex-dividend date set for August 29th.

Woodline Partners LP lowered its position in shares of Union Pacific Corporation (NYSE:UNP - Free Report) by 65.1% in the first quarter, according to the company in its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 28,008 shares of the railroad operator's stock after selling 52,341 shares during the period. Woodline Partners LP's holdings in Union Pacific were worth $6,617,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Other institutional investors and hedge funds have also recently modified their holdings of the company. Highline Wealth Partners LLC grew its stake in shares of Union Pacific by 103.5% during 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. acquired a new position in shares of Union Pacific during the first quarter worth $32,000. WPG Advisers LLC acquired a new position in shares of Union Pacific during the first quarter worth $33,000. Cornerstone Planning Group LLC grew its stake in shares of Union Pacific by 50.5% during the first quarter. Cornerstone Planning Group LLC now owns 167 shares of the railroad operator's stock worth $37,000 after purchasing an additional 56 shares in the last quarter. Finally, IMA Advisory Services Inc. acquired a new position in shares of Union Pacific during the first quarter worth $43,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 80.38% of the company's stock.

Union Pacific Stock Performance

Shares of NYSE:UNP traded up $1.27 on Monday, reaching $216.18. The company's stock had a trading volume of 4,483,833 shares, compared to its average volume of 4,295,584. The stock's 50-day moving average is $224.08 and its two-hundred day moving average is $225.57. Union Pacific Corporation has a 52-week low of $204.66 and a 52-week high of $256.84. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.86, a current ratio of 0.65 and a quick ratio of 0.53. The stock has a market capitalization of $128.20 billion, a P/E ratio of 18.78, a PEG ratio of 2.09 and a beta of 1.03.

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

Union Pacific Increases Dividend

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, September 30th. Stockholders of record on Friday, August 29th will be issued a $1.38 dividend. 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 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 2.6%. Union Pacific's dividend payout ratio is currently 47.96%.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

A number of equities analysts recently commented on the stock. Jefferies Financial Group upgraded shares of Union Pacific from a "hold" rating to a "buy" rating and boosted their target price for the stock from $250.00 to $285.00 in a research note on Friday, July 25th. Royal Bank Of Canada boosted their price target on shares of Union Pacific from $257.00 to $276.00 and gave the company an "outperform" rating in a research report on Wednesday, July 30th. Baird R W raised shares of Union Pacific to a "hold" rating in a research report on Tuesday, July 1st. UBS Group boosted 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. Finally, Robert W. Baird began coverage on shares of Union Pacific in a research report on Tuesday, July 1st. They issued a "neutral" rating and a $231.00 price target for the company. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, fifteen have assigned a Buy rating, nine have issued a Hold rating and one has issued a Sell rating to the company's stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the stock currently has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average price target of $258.25.

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.