Cullen Capital Management LLC Takes Position in Union Pacific Corporation $UNP

Cullen Capital Management LLC bought a new stake in shares of Union Pacific Corporation (NYSE:UNP) during the 2nd quarter, according to its most recent filing with the SEC. The firm bought 152,353 shares of the railroad operator’s stock, valued at approximately $41,440,000.

Other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also recently bought and sold shares of the company. Tucker Asset Management LLC acquired a new stake in Union Pacific in the fourth quarter valued at approximately $25,000. SWAN Capital LLC lifted its position in shares of Union Pacific by 2,575.0% during the fourth quarter. SWAN Capital LLC now owns 107 shares of the railroad operator’s stock worth $25,000 after purchasing an additional 103 shares in the last quarter. Rachor Investment Advisory Services LLC acquired a new position in shares of Union Pacific during the fourth quarter worth $25,000. High Point Wealth Management LLC acquired a new position in shares of Union Pacific during the fourth quarter worth $26,000. Finally, Scarborough Advisors LLC purchased a new position in shares of Union Pacific in the first quarter valued at $27,000. 80.38% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Union Pacific Stock Performance

Union Pacific stock opened at $309.83 on Tuesday. The stock has a market cap of $184.06 billion, a P/E ratio of 25.09, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 3.14 and a beta of 0.96. The company has a current ratio of 0.99, a quick ratio of 0.82 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.40. The stock has a 50 day moving average of $287.14 and a 200-day moving average of $268.31. Union Pacific Corporation has a 52 week low of $210.84 and a 52 week high of $315.99.

Union Pacific (NYSE:UNP) last released its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, July 23rd. The railroad operator reported $3.41 earnings per share for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $3.26 by $0.15. The business had revenue of $6.86 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $6.72 billion. Union Pacific had a net margin of 28.85% and a return on equity of 38.46%. The business’s quarterly revenue was up 11.5% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter last year, the company earned $3.03 earnings per share. On average, analysts expect that Union Pacific Corporation will post 12.93 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Union Pacific Increases Dividend

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, September 30th. Shareholders of record on Monday, August 31st will be issued a dividend of $1.42 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Monday, August 31st. This represents a $5.68 annualized dividend and a yield of 1.8%. This is an increase from Union Pacific’s previous quarterly dividend of $1.38. Union Pacific’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 45.99%.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other Union Pacific news, EVP Eric J. Gehringer sold 2,991 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction on Wednesday, June 3rd. The shares were sold at an average price of $263.96, for a total transaction of $789,504.36. Following the completion of the transaction, the executive vice president directly owned 43,012 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $11,353,447.52. This trade represents a 6.50% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at the SEC website. 0.22% of the stock is currently owned by corporate insiders.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

A number of equities research analysts recently weighed in on UNP shares. Benchmark raised their price target on shares of Union Pacific from $325.00 to $335.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a report on Friday, July 24th. Citigroup boosted their price objective on shares of Union Pacific from $326.00 to $349.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a report on Friday, July 24th. Stephens raised shares of Union Pacific to a “strong-buy” rating in a research report on Wednesday, July 8th. Citizens Jmp assumed coverage on Union Pacific in a research note on Wednesday, July 15th. They set an “outperform” rating and a $350.00 target price for the company. Finally, Susquehanna lifted their target price on Union Pacific from $305.00 to $333.00 and gave the stock a “positive” rating in a research report on Tuesday, July 14th. Two analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, thirteen have issued a Buy rating and six have assigned a Hold rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, Union Pacific has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $320.89.

About Union Pacific

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.