D.A. Davidson & CO. Raises Holdings in Union Pacific Corporation $UNP

D.A. Davidson & CO. raised its stake in Union Pacific Corporation (NYSE:UNP) by 3.5% during the third quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The institutional investor owned 154,528 shares of the railroad operator’s stock after purchasing an additional 5,258 shares during the period. D.A. Davidson & CO.’s holdings in Union Pacific were worth $36,526,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC).

A number of other institutional investors and hedge funds have also made changes to their positions in UNP. State of Wyoming raised its holdings in shares of Union Pacific by 51.8% in the 1st quarter. State of Wyoming now owns 390 shares of the railroad operator’s stock valued at $92,000 after purchasing an additional 133 shares in the last quarter. AQR Capital Management LLC increased its holdings in Union Pacific by 2.2% in the first quarter. AQR Capital Management LLC now owns 189,976 shares of the railroad operator’s stock valued at $44,382,000 after buying an additional 4,090 shares during the last quarter. Clark Capital Management Group Inc. raised its stake in Union Pacific by 25.1% in the first quarter. Clark Capital Management Group Inc. now owns 1,884 shares of the railroad operator’s stock valued at $445,000 after buying an additional 378 shares in the last quarter. Jacobs Levy Equity Management Inc. purchased a new stake in Union Pacific during the 1st quarter worth about $5,403,000. Finally, Integrated Wealth Concepts LLC boosted its position in shares of Union Pacific by 8.8% during the 1st quarter. Integrated Wealth Concepts LLC now owns 17,635 shares of the railroad operator’s stock worth $4,166,000 after acquiring an additional 1,430 shares in the last quarter. 80.38% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Union Pacific Stock Performance

Shares of UNP opened at $231.76 on Monday. The company’s 50 day simple moving average is $228.63 and its 200-day simple moving average is $227.04. The firm has a market cap of $137.47 billion, a PE ratio of 19.69, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.51 and a beta of 0.99. Union Pacific Corporation has a 12-month low of $204.66 and a 12-month high of $256.84. The company has a current ratio of 0.75, a quick ratio of 0.60 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.75.

Union Pacific (NYSE:UNP) last released its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, October 23rd. The railroad operator reported $3.08 EPS for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $2.99 by $0.09. Union Pacific had a net margin of 28.73% and a return on equity of 42.23%. The firm had revenue of $6.24 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $6.24 billion. During the same quarter in the prior year, the firm earned $2.75 EPS. Union Pacific’s revenue for the quarter was up 2.5% on a year-over-year basis. As a group, equities analysts predict that Union Pacific Corporation will post 11.99 EPS for the current year.

Union Pacific Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Tuesday, December 30th. Stockholders of record on Friday, December 5th were paid a dividend of $1.38 per share. The ex-dividend date was Friday, December 5th. This represents a $5.52 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 2.4%. Union Pacific’s dividend payout ratio is 46.90%.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

Several brokerages have recently weighed in on UNP. Weiss Ratings reissued a “hold (c+)” rating on shares of Union Pacific in a research report on Wednesday, October 8th. Citigroup increased their price target on shares of Union Pacific from $263.00 to $265.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research note on Friday, October 24th. TD Cowen cut their price objective on shares of Union Pacific from $258.00 to $257.00 and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a report on Friday, October 24th. Royal Bank Of Canada set a $280.00 price objective on shares of Union Pacific in a research report on Thursday, December 18th. Finally, BMO Capital Markets lowered their target price on shares of Union Pacific from $277.00 to $275.00 and set an “outperform” rating for the company in a report on Friday, October 24th. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, sixteen have issued a Buy rating and eleven have assigned a Hold rating to the company’s stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, Union Pacific presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $260.33.

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.