Union Pacific Corporation $UNP Shares Purchased by Royal London Asset Management Ltd.

Royal London Asset Management Ltd. boosted its stake in Union Pacific Corporation (NYSE:UNP) by 18.5% in the second quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The firm owned 579,158 shares of the railroad operator’s stock after acquiring an additional 90,368 shares during the quarter. Royal London Asset Management Ltd.’s holdings in Union Pacific were worth $157,531,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

A number of other hedge funds also recently made changes to their positions in the company. State Street Corp increased its stake in Union Pacific by 4.3% during the 4th quarter. State Street Corp now owns 26,330,080 shares of the railroad operator’s stock worth $6,090,674,000 after buying an additional 1,082,285 shares during the period. Capital World Investors grew its stake in Union Pacific by 92.1% during the 4th quarter. Capital World Investors now owns 20,136,349 shares of the railroad operator’s stock valued at $4,658,142,000 after purchasing an additional 9,655,306 shares in the last quarter. Geode Capital Management LLC grew its stake in Union Pacific by 2.0% during the 4th quarter. Geode Capital Management LLC now owns 15,360,668 shares of the railroad operator’s stock valued at $3,552,550,000 after purchasing an additional 296,814 shares in the last quarter. Bank of America Corp DE increased its holdings in Union Pacific by 0.4% during the 2nd quarter. Bank of America Corp DE now owns 14,527,563 shares of the railroad operator’s stock worth $3,951,497,000 after purchasing an additional 64,492 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Morgan Stanley increased its holdings in Union Pacific by 5.0% during the 4th quarter. Morgan Stanley now owns 12,636,050 shares of the railroad operator’s stock worth $2,922,971,000 after purchasing an additional 602,647 shares during the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 80.38% of the company’s stock.

Union Pacific Stock Up 0.0%

Shares of Union Pacific stock opened at $307.82 on Friday. The stock has a market capitalization of $182.87 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 24.92, a PEG ratio of 3.12 and a beta of 0.96. Union Pacific Corporation has a twelve month low of $210.84 and a twelve month high of $315.99. 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 business’s 50 day simple moving average is $291.07 and its 200-day simple moving average is $269.81.

Union Pacific (NYSE:UNP) last released its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, July 23rd. The railroad operator reported $3.41 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $3.26 by $0.15. The business had revenue of $6.86 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates 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% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter in the previous year, the firm posted $3.03 EPS. Equities research analysts forecast that Union Pacific Corporation will post 13.01 earnings per share for the current year.

Union Pacific Increases Dividend

The company 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. This is an increase from Union Pacific’s previous quarterly dividend of $1.38. This represents a $5.68 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 1.8%. The ex-dividend date is Monday, August 31st. Union Pacific’s payout ratio is currently 44.70%.

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

Analyst Ratings Changes

Several equities analysts have recently commented on the company. The Goldman Sachs Group set a $317.00 target price on Union Pacific and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a research note on Thursday, July 23rd. Bank of America lifted their price target on shares of Union Pacific from $301.00 to $334.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research note on Thursday, July 23rd. Robert W. Baird upped their price target on shares of Union Pacific from $311.00 to $344.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a report on Monday, July 27th. Raymond James Financial reissued a “strong-buy” rating on shares of Union Pacific in a report on Monday, July 13th. Finally, Erste Group Bank assumed coverage on shares of Union Pacific in a research note on Thursday. They issued a “buy” rating on the stock. Two analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, fourteen have assigned a Buy rating and six have given a Hold rating to the company’s stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, Union Pacific has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $320.89.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other Union Pacific news, EVP Eric J. Gehringer sold 2,991 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction dated 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. The trade was a 6.50% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available at this hyperlink. 0.22% of the stock is currently owned by corporate insiders.

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.