Ceredex Value Advisors LLC Takes Position in Union Pacific Corporation $UNP

Ceredex Value Advisors LLC bought a new position in Union Pacific Corporation (NYSE:UNP) during the 3rd quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The firm bought 186,291 shares of the railroad operator’s stock, valued at approximately $44,034,000.

Other large investors have also added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Caitlin John LLC bought a new position in shares of Union Pacific during the 3rd quarter valued at $27,000. Howard Hughes Medical Institute purchased a new stake in Union Pacific during the second quarter valued at $30,000. Financial Gravity Companies Inc. bought a new position in Union Pacific in the second quarter valued at about $31,000. Total Investment Management Inc. purchased a new position in Union Pacific in the second quarter worth about $31,000. Finally, Sagard Holdings Management Inc. purchased a new position in Union Pacific in the second quarter worth about $33,000. Institutional investors own 80.38% of the company’s stock.

Union Pacific Trading Down 0.4%

UNP stock opened at $253.20 on Tuesday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.64, a current ratio of 0.91 and a quick ratio of 0.75. Union Pacific Corporation has a 1-year low of $204.66 and a 1-year high of $268.14. The business has a 50 day simple moving average of $245.27 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $233.25. The company has a market capitalization of $150.25 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 21.15, a PEG ratio of 2.77 and a beta of 0.95.

Union Pacific (NYSE:UNP) last issued its earnings results on Tuesday, January 27th. The railroad operator reported $2.86 earnings per share for the quarter, missing analysts’ consensus estimates of $2.92 by ($0.06). The company had revenue of $6.09 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $6.15 billion. Union Pacific had a return on equity of 40.89% and a net margin of 29.12%.Union Pacific’s revenue was down .6% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter in the prior year, the company posted $2.91 EPS. Research analysts anticipate that Union Pacific Corporation will post 11.99 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Union Pacific Announces Dividend

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, March 31st. Investors of record on Friday, February 27th will be given a $1.38 dividend. This represents a $5.52 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 2.2%. The ex-dividend date is Friday, February 27th. Union Pacific’s payout ratio is currently 46.12%.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several brokerages have recently weighed in on UNP. JPMorgan Chase & Co. lowered their price objective on shares of Union Pacific from $270.00 to $265.00 and set a “neutral” rating on the stock in a research note on Wednesday, January 28th. Weiss Ratings upgraded shares of Union Pacific from a “hold (c+)” rating to a “buy (b-)” rating in a research report on Friday, February 6th. Susquehanna reiterated a “buy” rating on shares of Union Pacific in a research report on Monday, January 19th. Citigroup reiterated a “buy” rating and set a $270.00 price target (up from $265.00) on shares of Union Pacific in a research note on Wednesday, January 28th. Finally, BMO Capital Markets restated a “market perform” rating and issued a $295.00 price objective on shares of Union Pacific in a research note on Thursday, February 19th. One research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, fourteen have assigned a Buy rating and nine have assigned a Hold rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the company presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $263.77.

Union Pacific Company Profile

Union Pacific Corporation (NYSE: UNP) is one of the largest freight railroad companies in the United States. Its principal operating subsidiary, Union Pacific Railroad, has roots that trace back to the Pacific Railway Act of 1862 and the construction of the first transcontinental rail link completed in 1869. The company is headquartered in Omaha, Nebraska, and operates as a holding company for rail transportation and related services.

Union Pacific’s core business is the movement of freight by rail across an extensive rail network serving the western two?thirds of the United States.