USS Investment Management Ltd Has $3.49 Million Position in Union Pacific Corporation $UNP

Key Points

• USS Investment Management Ltd reduced its stake in Union Pacific Corporation by 68.4%, holding approximately $3.49 million worth of shares as of the latest SEC filing.
• Several research firms have recently set new price targets for Union Pacific, with Wells Fargo raising their target from $250.00 to $260.00 and BMO Capital Markets boosting it from $270.00 to $277.00.
• Union Pacific announced a quarterly dividend increase to $1.38 per share, with an annualized yield of 2.5%, reflecting a payout ratio of 47.96%.

USS Investment Management Ltd reduced its stake in shares of Union Pacific Corporation (NYSE:UNP - Free Report) by 68.4% in the 1st quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The firm owned 14,778 shares of the railroad operator's stock after selling 31,999 shares during the quarter. USS Investment Management Ltd's holdings in Union Pacific were worth $3,491,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Several other institutional investors also recently modified their holdings of the stock. Titleist Asset Management LLC lifted its holdings in shares of Union Pacific by 1.1% during the 1st quarter. Titleist Asset Management LLC now owns 4,004 shares of the railroad operator's stock valued at $946,000 after purchasing an additional 44 shares in the last quarter. First Financial Bank Trust Division lifted its holdings in shares of Union Pacific by 1.7% during the 1st quarter. First Financial Bank Trust Division now owns 2,803 shares of the railroad operator's stock valued at $662,000 after purchasing an additional 47 shares in the last quarter. Stiles Financial Services Inc lifted its holdings in shares of Union Pacific by 1.6% during the 1st quarter. Stiles Financial Services Inc now owns 2,963 shares of the railroad operator's stock valued at $700,000 after purchasing an additional 48 shares in the last quarter. Avalon Trust Co lifted its holdings in shares of Union Pacific by 5.1% during the 1st quarter. Avalon Trust Co now owns 1,004 shares of the railroad operator's stock valued at $237,000 after purchasing an additional 49 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Mather Group LLC. lifted its holdings in shares of Union Pacific by 1.7% during the 1st quarter. Mather Group LLC. now owns 3,041 shares of the railroad operator's stock valued at $718,000 after purchasing an additional 50 shares in the last quarter. 80.38% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

Several research firms have recently weighed in on UNP. The Goldman Sachs Group reiterated a "neutral" rating and set a $263.00 price objective on shares of Union Pacific in a report on Monday, June 2nd. Wells Fargo & Company lifted their price objective on Union Pacific from $250.00 to $260.00 and gave the company an "overweight" rating in a report on Friday, July 25th. Argus cut Union Pacific from a "buy" rating to a "hold" rating in a report on Tuesday, August 12th. BMO Capital Markets boosted their target price on Union Pacific from $270.00 to $277.00 and gave the company an "outperform" rating in a research note on Friday, July 25th. Finally, Baird R W upgraded Union Pacific to a "hold" rating in a research note on Tuesday, July 1st. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, fourteen have assigned a Buy rating, ten have given a Hold rating and one has assigned a Sell rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, Union Pacific has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average target price of $258.21.

Union Pacific Trading Down 1.3%

NYSE UNP opened at $217.41 on Tuesday. The stock has a market capitalization of $128.93 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 18.89, a PEG ratio of 2.14 and a beta of 1.03. The stock's 50 day moving average price is $226.14 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $226.61. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.86, a quick ratio of 0.53 and a current ratio of 0.65. Union Pacific Corporation has a 52 week low of $204.66 and a 52 week high of $256.84.

Union Pacific (NYSE:UNP - Get Free Report) last released its earnings results on Thursday, July 24th. The railroad operator reported $3.03 EPS for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $2.84 by $0.19. Union Pacific had a return on equity of 41.73% and a net margin of 28.43%.The firm had revenue of $6.15 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $6.09 billion. During the same quarter in the previous year, the business posted $2.74 EPS. The business's quarterly revenue was up 2.4% compared to the same quarter last year. As a group, analysts anticipate that Union Pacific Corporation will post 11.99 earnings per share for the current fiscal 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 paid a dividend of $1.38 per share. The ex-dividend date is Friday, August 29th. This represents a $5.52 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 2.5%. This is an increase from Union Pacific's previous quarterly dividend of $1.34. Union Pacific's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 47.96%.

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.

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