V Square Quantitative Management LLC Increases Stock Position in Union Pacific Corporation $UNP

V Square Quantitative Management LLC increased its position in Union Pacific Corporation (NYSE:UNP) by 35.4% in the 4th quarter, Holdings Channel.com reports. The firm owned 17,557 shares of the railroad operator’s stock after buying an additional 4,588 shares during the quarter. Union Pacific comprises 0.4% of V Square Quantitative Management LLC’s holdings, making the stock its 26th largest position. V Square Quantitative Management LLC’s holdings in Union Pacific were worth $4,061,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

Several other institutional investors and hedge funds have also made changes to their positions in UNP. Union Bancaire Privee UBP SA raised its holdings in Union Pacific by 9.8% in the third quarter. Union Bancaire Privee UBP SA now owns 52,849 shares of the railroad operator’s stock valued at $12,492,000 after acquiring an additional 4,707 shares in the last quarter. Midwest Trust Co raised its holdings in Union Pacific by 2.8% in the third quarter. Midwest Trust Co now owns 281,036 shares of the railroad operator’s stock valued at $66,428,000 after acquiring an additional 7,759 shares in the last quarter. CX Institutional raised its holdings in Union Pacific by 39.8% in the third quarter. CX Institutional now owns 65,826 shares of the railroad operator’s stock valued at $15,559,000 after acquiring an additional 18,742 shares in the last quarter. Thrivent Financial for Lutherans raised its holdings in Union Pacific by 15.1% in the third quarter. Thrivent Financial for Lutherans now owns 135,188 shares of the railroad operator’s stock valued at $31,955,000 after acquiring an additional 17,696 shares in the last quarter. Finally, AustralianSuper Pty Ltd acquired a new stake in Union Pacific in the third quarter valued at $802,000. 80.38% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

Several research firms recently issued reports on UNP. Weiss Ratings raised shares of Union Pacific from a “hold (c+)” rating to a “buy (b-)” rating in a report on Friday, February 6th. Citigroup increased their target price on shares of Union Pacific from $270.00 to $285.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a report on Tuesday. Barclays reissued an “overweight” rating and set a $285.00 target price (up from $270.00) on shares of Union Pacific in a report on Tuesday, December 16th. Raymond James Financial reissued a “strong-buy” rating on shares of Union Pacific in a report on Tuesday, January 27th. Finally, JPMorgan Chase & Co. dropped their target price on shares of Union Pacific from $270.00 to $265.00 and set a “neutral” rating on the stock in a report on Wednesday, January 28th. One research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, fifteen have issued a Buy rating and eight have given a Hold rating to the company’s stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the stock currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $265.86.

Union Pacific Stock Up 1.1%

UNP stock opened at $248.90 on Thursday. The company has a quick ratio of 0.75, a current ratio of 0.91 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.64. Union Pacific Corporation has a fifty-two week low of $206.38 and a fifty-two week high of $268.14. The firm’s 50-day simple moving average is $250.76 and its 200 day simple moving average is $236.58. The stock has a market cap of $147.69 billion, a PE ratio of 20.79, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.70 and a beta of 0.96.

Union Pacific (NYSE:UNP) last released its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, January 27th. The railroad operator reported $2.86 earnings per share 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 firm had revenue of $6.09 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $6.15 billion. During the same period last year, the business earned $2.91 EPS. The firm’s revenue was down .6% on a year-over-year basis. As a group, sell-side analysts predict that Union Pacific Corporation will post 11.99 EPS for the current year.

Union Pacific Announces Dividend

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

Insider Transactions at Union Pacific

In related news, EVP Eric J. Gehringer sold 1,999 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Friday, March 20th. The shares were sold at an average price of $234.93, for a total value of $469,625.07. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this link. 0.28% of the stock is 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.