Varma Mutual Pension Insurance Co Acquires 24,300 Shares of Union Pacific Corporation $UNP

Varma Mutual Pension Insurance Co raised its holdings in Union Pacific Corporation (NYSE:UNP) by 30.1% in the third quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The firm owned 105,049 shares of the railroad operator’s stock after purchasing an additional 24,300 shares during the quarter. Varma Mutual Pension Insurance Co’s holdings in Union Pacific were worth $24,830,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC).

Several other large investors have also recently made changes to their positions in UNP. Elmwood Wealth Management Inc. increased its holdings in Union Pacific by 2.0% during the third quarter. Elmwood Wealth Management Inc. now owns 5,619 shares of the railroad operator’s stock worth $1,328,000 after buying an additional 108 shares during the last quarter. Savvy Advisors Inc. raised its holdings in shares of Union Pacific by 149.9% in the 3rd quarter. Savvy Advisors Inc. now owns 5,526 shares of the railroad operator’s stock worth $1,306,000 after purchasing an additional 3,315 shares during the period. Onyx Bridge Wealth Group LLC purchased a new position in Union Pacific in the third quarter valued at approximately $570,000. Allegheny Financial Group grew its holdings in Union Pacific by 32.5% during the third quarter. Allegheny Financial Group now owns 8,128 shares of the railroad operator’s stock valued at $1,921,000 after purchasing an additional 1,994 shares during the period. Finally, Cibc World Market Inc. increased its position in Union Pacific by 1.3% in the third quarter. Cibc World Market Inc. now owns 124,298 shares of the railroad operator’s stock worth $29,380,000 after buying an additional 1,598 shares during the last quarter. 80.38% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

Several brokerages recently weighed in on UNP. TD Cowen decreased their price objective on Union Pacific from $257.00 to $255.00 and set a “buy” rating for the company in a report on Wednesday, January 28th. Raymond James Financial reiterated a “strong-buy” rating on shares of Union Pacific in a research note on Tuesday, January 27th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. dropped their price target on shares of Union Pacific from $270.00 to $265.00 and set a “neutral” rating on the stock in a research note on Wednesday, January 28th. Susquehanna reaffirmed a “buy” rating on shares of Union Pacific in a report on Monday, January 19th. Finally, Weiss Ratings upgraded shares of Union Pacific from a “hold (c+)” rating to a “buy (b-)” rating in a research note on Friday, February 6th. One analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, thirteen have given a Buy rating and ten have issued a Hold rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $258.32.

Union Pacific Trading Up 0.6%

Shares of NYSE:UNP opened at $262.96 on Thursday. The stock’s 50-day simple moving average is $235.45 and its two-hundred day simple moving average is $228.14. The stock has a market capitalization of $156.04 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 21.97, a PEG ratio of 2.84 and a beta of 0.98. Union Pacific Corporation has a 52-week low of $204.66 and a 52-week high of $263.92. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.64, a quick ratio of 0.60 and a current ratio of 0.91.

Union Pacific (NYSE:UNP) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, January 27th. The railroad operator reported $2.86 earnings per share for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $2.92 by ($0.06). The business had revenue of $6.09 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $6.15 billion. Union Pacific had a return on equity of 40.89% and a net margin of 29.12%.Union Pacific’s revenue for the quarter was down .6% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter last year, the company earned $2.91 EPS. Analysts expect that Union Pacific Corporation will post 11.99 EPS for the current year.

Union Pacific Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, March 31st. Stockholders of record on Friday, February 27th will be given a dividend of $1.38 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, February 27th. This represents a $5.52 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 2.1%. Union Pacific’s payout ratio is presently 46.12%.

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.