Invesco Ltd. Boosts Stock Position in Union Pacific Corporation $UNP

Invesco Ltd. lifted its stake in Union Pacific Corporation (NYSE:UNP) by 21.4% in the third quarter, Holdings Channel.com reports. The fund owned 6,551,125 shares of the railroad operator’s stock after purchasing an additional 1,154,771 shares during the period. Invesco Ltd.’s holdings in Union Pacific were worth $1,548,489,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC).

Other hedge funds also recently made changes to their positions in the company. Howard Capital Management Group LLC boosted its stake in Union Pacific by 2.0% in the 3rd quarter. Howard Capital Management Group LLC now owns 2,252 shares of the railroad operator’s stock worth $532,000 after purchasing an additional 45 shares during the period. Prestige Wealth Management Group LLC grew its holdings in Union Pacific by 1.4% during the 3rd quarter. Prestige Wealth Management Group LLC now owns 3,186 shares of the railroad operator’s stock valued at $753,000 after buying an additional 45 shares in the last quarter. Hanson & Doremus Investment Management increased its position in shares of Union Pacific by 2.5% during the third quarter. Hanson & Doremus Investment Management now owns 1,880 shares of the railroad operator’s stock valued at $444,000 after buying an additional 46 shares during the period. Silver Oak Securities Incorporated increased its position in shares of Union Pacific by 4.5% during the third quarter. Silver Oak Securities Incorporated now owns 1,065 shares of the railroad operator’s stock valued at $252,000 after buying an additional 46 shares during the period. Finally, CFO4Life Group LLC lifted its holdings in shares of Union Pacific by 1.2% in the third quarter. CFO4Life Group LLC now owns 3,754 shares of the railroad operator’s stock worth $887,000 after buying an additional 46 shares in the last quarter. 80.38% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

A number of equities analysts have recently commented on the stock. Royal Bank Of Canada set a $280.00 price objective on shares of Union Pacific in a research report on Thursday, December 18th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. decreased their target price on shares of Union Pacific from $270.00 to $265.00 and set a “neutral” rating on the stock in a report on Wednesday, January 28th. Robert W. Baird set a $311.00 target price on shares of Union Pacific and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a research note on Friday, March 6th. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft set a $245.00 price target on shares of Union Pacific in a report on Thursday, December 11th. Finally, Citigroup reaffirmed a “buy” rating and issued a $270.00 price target (up from $265.00) on shares of Union Pacific in a report on Wednesday, January 28th. One research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, fourteen have issued a Buy rating and nine have given a Hold rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat.com, Union Pacific currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $263.77.

Union Pacific Stock Down 2.8%

UNP stock opened at $243.96 on Friday. The company has a current ratio of 0.91, a quick ratio of 0.75 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.64. The company’s 50 day moving average is $246.26 and its 200 day moving average is $233.60. The stock has a market cap of $144.77 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 20.38, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.74 and a beta of 0.95. Union Pacific Corporation has a 1-year low of $204.66 and a 1-year high of $268.14.

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

Union Pacific Announces Dividend

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, March 31st. Stockholders of record on Friday, February 27th will be given a dividend of $1.38 per share. The ex-dividend date is Friday, February 27th. This represents a $5.52 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 2.3%. Union Pacific’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 46.12%.

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.