Diamond Hill Capital Management Inc. Reduces Holdings in Union Pacific Corporation $UNP

Diamond Hill Capital Management Inc. lowered its stake in shares of Union Pacific Corporation (NYSE:UNP) by 11.2% during the 3rd quarter, Holdings Channel.com reports. The institutional investor owned 1,719,546 shares of the railroad operator’s stock after selling 217,334 shares during the period. Union Pacific comprises about 1.9% of Diamond Hill Capital Management Inc.’s holdings, making the stock its 13th largest position. Diamond Hill Capital Management Inc.’s holdings in Union Pacific were worth $406,449,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

A number of other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also recently made changes to their positions in the company. Howard Hughes Medical Institute bought a new stake in shares of Union Pacific during the 2nd quarter valued at $30,000. Total Investment Management Inc. bought a new stake in Union Pacific during the second quarter worth about $31,000. Financial Gravity Companies Inc. bought a new position in shares of Union Pacific during the second quarter valued at approximately $31,000. Access Investment Management LLC purchased a new position in shares of Union Pacific during the second quarter valued at approximately $32,000. Finally, Sagard Holdings Management Inc. purchased a new position in shares of Union Pacific during the second quarter valued at approximately $33,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 80.38% of the company’s stock.

Union Pacific Trading Up 0.6%

Shares of UNP stock opened at $252.92 on Friday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.64, a current ratio of 0.91 and a quick ratio of 0.60. The company has a market cap of $150.02 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 21.13, a PEG ratio of 2.75 and a beta of 0.98. Union Pacific Corporation has a 1 year low of $204.66 and a 1 year high of $253.29. The firm has a fifty day moving average price of $233.86 and a 200-day moving average price of $227.42.

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

Union Pacific Dividend Announcement

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, March 31st. Investors of record on Friday, February 27th will be paid a dividend of $1.38 per share. The ex-dividend date is Friday, February 27th. This represents a $5.52 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 2.2%. Union Pacific’s payout ratio is 46.12%.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

Several analysts recently weighed in on UNP shares. TD Cowen cut their price target on Union Pacific from $257.00 to $255.00 and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a research note on Wednesday, January 28th. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft set a $245.00 target price on Union Pacific in a report on Thursday, December 11th. Susquehanna reaffirmed a “buy” rating on shares of Union Pacific in a research report on Monday, January 19th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. cut their price objective on shares of Union Pacific from $270.00 to $265.00 and set a “neutral” rating on the stock in a research report on Wednesday, January 28th. Finally, Weiss Ratings raised shares of Union Pacific from a “hold (c+)” rating to a “buy (b-)” rating in a report on Friday. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, thirteen have given a Buy rating and ten have assigned a Hold rating to the company’s stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the company currently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $258.32.

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.