Mountain Pacific Investment Advisers LLC Acquires 68 Shares of Union Pacific Co. (NYSE:UNP)

Mountain Pacific Investment Advisers LLC boosted its stake in shares of Union Pacific Co. (NYSE:UNP) by 2.6% during the 3rd quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The fund owned 2,671 shares of the railroad operator’s stock after acquiring an additional 68 shares during the quarter. Mountain Pacific Investment Advisers LLC’s holdings in Union Pacific were worth $658,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

A number of other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also added to or reduced their stakes in the stock. Marshall Wace LLP lifted its position in Union Pacific by 272.3% in the second quarter. Marshall Wace LLP now owns 1,678,108 shares of the railroad operator’s stock worth $379,689,000 after buying an additional 1,227,318 shares during the last quarter. Capital World Investors boosted its stake in shares of Union Pacific by 35.3% during the 1st quarter. Capital World Investors now owns 4,118,477 shares of the railroad operator’s stock worth $1,012,857,000 after purchasing an additional 1,073,625 shares during the period. Capital Research Global Investors grew its holdings in Union Pacific by 7.6% during the 1st quarter. Capital Research Global Investors now owns 7,370,752 shares of the railroad operator’s stock valued at $1,812,689,000 after purchasing an additional 518,985 shares during the last quarter. Bridges Investment Management Inc. raised its position in Union Pacific by 186.4% in the 2nd quarter. Bridges Investment Management Inc. now owns 704,769 shares of the railroad operator’s stock worth $159,461,000 after purchasing an additional 458,664 shares during the period. Finally, Global Assets Advisory LLC bought a new stake in Union Pacific in the first quarter worth about $96,945,000. 80.38% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Insider Activity

In related news, President Elizabeth F. Whited sold 3,552 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction on Tuesday, July 30th. The shares were sold at an average price of $246.59, for a total value of $875,887.68. Following the completion of the transaction, the president now directly owns 64,945 shares in the company, valued at $16,014,787.55. The trade was a 0.00 % decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available at the SEC website. Insiders own 0.28% of the company’s stock.

Union Pacific Trading Up 0.1 %

NYSE:UNP opened at $237.68 on Thursday. The stock has a market capitalization of $144.79 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 22.68, a PEG ratio of 2.20 and a beta of 1.05. Union Pacific Co. has a 52 week low of $199.97 and a 52 week high of $258.66. The company has a quick ratio of 0.86, a current ratio of 1.05 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.89. The firm has a 50 day moving average of $245.74 and a 200 day moving average of $238.62.

Union Pacific (NYSE:UNP) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, July 25th. The railroad operator reported $2.74 EPS for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $2.71 by $0.03. Union Pacific had a return on equity of 42.62% and a net margin of 26.90%. The firm had revenue of $6.01 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $6.05 billion. During the same quarter in the prior year, the business posted $2.57 EPS. The business’s revenue for the quarter was up .7% compared to the same quarter last year. As a group, sell-side analysts anticipate that Union Pacific Co. will post 11.1 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Union Pacific Increases Dividend

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Monday, September 30th. Stockholders of record on Friday, August 30th were paid a $1.34 dividend. This represents a $5.36 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 2.26%. This is a boost from Union Pacific’s previous quarterly dividend of $1.30. The ex-dividend date was Friday, August 30th. Union Pacific’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 51.15%.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

Several equities research analysts have recently weighed in on UNP shares. Sanford C. Bernstein reduced their price target on Union Pacific from $277.00 to $272.00 and set an “outperform” rating on the stock in a report on Wednesday. Daiwa America cut shares of Union Pacific from a “moderate buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research report on Wednesday, September 4th. Loop Capital lowered shares of Union Pacific from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating and reduced their target price for the stock from $276.00 to $238.00 in a research report on Monday, June 17th. Royal Bank of Canada boosted their price target on Union Pacific from $275.00 to $288.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a report on Monday, September 30th. Finally, Benchmark reaffirmed a “buy” rating and set a $266.00 target price on shares of Union Pacific in a research report on Monday, July 29th. Nine equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, eleven have issued a buy rating and one has assigned a strong buy rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat, the stock currently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $259.50.

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.