New Mexico Educational Retirement Board Has $8.05 Million Stock Position in Union Pacific Corporation $UNP

New Mexico Educational Retirement Board grew its stake in Union Pacific Corporation (NYSE:UNP) by 8.4% during the 2nd quarter, HoldingsChannel reports. The firm owned 29,588 shares of the railroad operator’s stock after acquiring an additional 2,300 shares during the quarter. New Mexico Educational Retirement Board’s holdings in Union Pacific were worth $8,048,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

A number of other hedge funds have also modified their holdings of UNP. Acadian Asset Management LLC boosted its stake in Union Pacific by 40.4% in the 1st quarter. Acadian Asset Management LLC now owns 2,312 shares of the railroad operator’s stock valued at $546,000 after buying an additional 665 shares in the last quarter. Schnieders Capital Management LLC. raised its stake in Union Pacific by 0.5% during the second quarter. Schnieders Capital Management LLC. now owns 20,606 shares of the railroad operator’s stock worth $4,741,000 after acquiring an additional 102 shares in the last quarter. Main Street Financial Solutions LLC raised its stake in Union Pacific by 1.6% during the second quarter. Main Street Financial Solutions LLC now owns 3,733 shares of the railroad operator’s stock worth $859,000 after acquiring an additional 58 shares in the last quarter. HUB Investment Partners LLC lifted its holdings in shares of Union Pacific by 10.0% during the second quarter. HUB Investment Partners LLC now owns 6,091 shares of the railroad operator’s stock valued at $1,401,000 after acquiring an additional 554 shares during the period. Finally, Alliancebernstein L.P. lifted its holdings in shares of Union Pacific by 7.4% during the second quarter. Alliancebernstein L.P. now owns 1,528,426 shares of the railroad operator’s stock valued at $351,660,000 after acquiring an additional 105,664 shares during the period. 80.38% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Key Union Pacific News

Here are the key news stories impacting Union Pacific this week:

• Positive Sentiment: New analyst coverage adds support: Erste Group Bank AG initiated coverage of Union Pacific with a “buy” rating, signaling confidence in the railroad’s valuation and outlook. Erste Group Bank coverage
• Positive Sentiment: Dividend and earnings backdrop remains favorable: Union Pacific is being highlighted as a dividend-growth railroad, and recent quarterly results showed earnings and revenue above analyst expectations, with revenue up year over year. These factors reinforce the company’s appeal to income and quality-focused investors. Dividend-paying railroad stocks
• Neutral Sentiment: Merger application advances: Union Pacific and Norfolk Southern submitted expanded customer protections to the Surface Transportation Board, including broader eligibility for committed gateway pricing. The proposed terms could improve the prospects for approval of the first single-line transcontinental railroad network, although the transaction remains subject to a lengthy regulatory review. Union Pacific and Norfolk Southern merger protections
• Neutral Sentiment: Management will address investors: CEO Jim Vena and CFO Jennifer Hamann are scheduled to participate in a Bernstein Research fireside chat on September 1. Investors may look for updates on merger strategy, rail efficiency and operating trends. Union Pacific Bernstein fireside chat
• Negative Sentiment: Regulatory and efficiency risks remain: The companies continue defending the merger against opponents’ challenges, while new analysis describes Union Pacific as facing a fresh test of rail efficiency. Any tougher STB scrutiny or evidence of operational weaknesses could temper merger-driven optimism. Merger application regulatory review

Union Pacific Stock Performance

Union Pacific stock opened at $307.82 on Friday. The company has a quick ratio of 0.82, a current ratio of 0.99 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.40. The stock has a market capitalization of $182.87 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 24.92, a P/E/G ratio of 3.12 and a beta of 0.96. Union Pacific Corporation has a 12-month low of $210.84 and a 12-month high of $315.99. The stock has a 50-day simple moving average of $291.07 and a 200 day simple moving average of $269.81.

Union Pacific (NYSE:UNP) last released its earnings results on Thursday, July 23rd. The railroad operator reported $3.41 EPS for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $3.26 by $0.15. The company had revenue of $6.86 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $6.72 billion. Union Pacific had a return on equity of 38.46% and a net margin of 28.85%.The business’s revenue for the quarter was up 11.5% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period last year, the firm earned $3.03 EPS. On average, research analysts anticipate that Union Pacific Corporation will post 13.01 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Union Pacific Increases Dividend

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, September 30th. Stockholders of record on Monday, August 31st will be given a dividend of $1.42 per share. The ex-dividend date is Monday, August 31st. This represents a $5.68 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 1.8%. This is a positive change from Union Pacific’s previous quarterly dividend of $1.38. Union Pacific’s dividend payout ratio is presently 44.70%.

Insider Activity at Union Pacific

In related news, EVP Eric J. Gehringer sold 2,991 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction that occurred 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 sale, the executive vice president directly owned 43,012 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $11,353,447.52. The trade was a 6.50% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available at this link. 0.22% of the stock is currently owned by corporate insiders.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

Several brokerages have recently commented on UNP. Erste Group Bank assumed coverage on shares of Union Pacific in a research note on Thursday. They issued a “buy” rating on the stock. Benchmark lifted 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. Susquehanna lifted their price target on shares of Union Pacific from $305.00 to $333.00 and gave the company a “positive” rating in a report on Tuesday, July 14th. Weiss Ratings upgraded shares of Union Pacific from a “buy (b-)” rating to a “buy (b)” rating in a research report on Friday, July 24th. Finally, Raymond James Financial reaffirmed a “strong-buy” rating on shares of Union Pacific in a research note on Monday, July 13th. Two equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, fourteen have issued a Buy rating and six have issued a Hold rating to the company. According to MarketBeat, the stock presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $320.89.

Union Pacific 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.