Manning & Napier Advisors LLC Sells 264,279 Shares of Union Pacific Corporation $UNP

Manning & Napier Advisors LLC cut its holdings in Union Pacific Corporation (NYSE:UNP) by 99.8% during the third quarter, HoldingsChannel.com reports. The institutional investor owned 486 shares of the railroad operator’s stock after selling 264,279 shares during the period. Manning & Napier Advisors LLC’s holdings in Union Pacific were worth $115,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

A number of other institutional investors also recently bought and sold shares of the stock. Envestnet Portfolio Solutions Inc. lifted its stake in Union Pacific by 10.6% in the second quarter. Envestnet Portfolio Solutions Inc. now owns 93,337 shares of the railroad operator’s stock worth $21,475,000 after acquiring an additional 8,925 shares during the period. Commerzbank Aktiengesellschaft FI increased its position in Union Pacific by 26.4% during the 2nd quarter. Commerzbank Aktiengesellschaft FI now owns 23,875 shares of the railroad operator’s stock valued at $5,494,000 after buying an additional 4,980 shares in the last quarter. Union Bancaire Privee UBP SA boosted its stake in Union Pacific by 9.8% in the 3rd quarter. Union Bancaire Privee UBP SA now owns 52,849 shares of the railroad operator’s stock worth $12,492,000 after purchasing an additional 4,707 shares in the last quarter. CX Institutional lifted its position in Union Pacific by 39.8% during the 3rd quarter. CX Institutional now owns 65,826 shares of the railroad operator’s stock worth $15,559,000 after acquiring an additional 18,742 shares during the period. Finally, SCS Capital Management LLC boosted its holdings in shares of Union Pacific by 165.2% in the 2nd quarter. SCS Capital Management LLC now owns 34,808 shares of the railroad operator’s stock valued at $8,009,000 after acquiring an additional 21,685 shares during the last quarter. 80.38% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

Analyst Ratings Changes

Several analysts recently commented on the stock. The Goldman Sachs Group set a $263.00 price target on shares of Union Pacific and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a research report on Thursday, October 23rd. UBS Group set a $253.00 price target on Union Pacific and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a research report on Friday, October 3rd. Cowen reaffirmed a “buy” rating on shares of Union Pacific in a research note on Friday, October 24th. Barclays reissued an “overweight” rating and issued a $285.00 price target (up previously from $270.00) on shares of Union Pacific in a research note on Tuesday, December 16th. Finally, Weiss Ratings restated a “hold (c+)” rating on shares of Union Pacific in a research report on Wednesday, October 8th. One research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, fifteen have issued a Buy rating and twelve have issued a Hold rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat, the stock presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $259.58.

Union Pacific Price Performance

Shares of UNP stock opened at $230.51 on Friday. The firm’s 50-day moving average is $230.56 and its two-hundred day moving average is $227.21. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.75, a current ratio of 0.75 and a quick ratio of 0.60. The company has a market capitalization of $136.73 billion, a PE ratio of 19.58, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.62 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.

Union Pacific (NYSE:UNP) last released its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, October 23rd. The railroad operator reported $3.08 earnings per share for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $2.99 by $0.09. Union Pacific had a return on equity of 42.23% and a net margin of 28.73%.The business had revenue of $6.24 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $6.24 billion. During the same period in the prior year, the business posted $2.75 EPS. The company’s revenue was up 2.5% compared to the same quarter last year. Analysts predict that Union Pacific Corporation will post 11.99 earnings per share for the current year.

Union Pacific Dividend Announcement

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

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.