Jupiter Asset Management Ltd. Invests $66.83 Million in Union Pacific Corporation $UNP

Jupiter Asset Management Ltd. bought a new stake in Union Pacific Corporation (NYSE:UNP) during the third quarter, HoldingsChannel.com reports. The fund bought 282,713 shares of the railroad operator’s stock, valued at approximately $66,825,000.

A number of other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also bought and sold shares of the business. VeraBank N.A. raised its holdings in Union Pacific by 4.9% in the 3rd quarter. VeraBank N.A. now owns 2,696 shares of the railroad operator’s stock valued at $637,000 after acquiring an additional 125 shares during the period. CFO4Life Group LLC boosted its holdings in shares of Union Pacific by 1.2% during the third quarter. CFO4Life Group LLC now owns 3,754 shares of the railroad operator’s stock worth $887,000 after acquiring an additional 46 shares during the period. Levin Capital Strategies L.P. grew its position in shares of Union Pacific by 12.3% in the third quarter. Levin Capital Strategies L.P. now owns 101,631 shares of the railroad operator’s stock valued at $24,023,000 after purchasing an additional 11,114 shares during the last quarter. Synovus Financial Corp increased its stake in shares of Union Pacific by 10.4% during the third quarter. Synovus Financial Corp now owns 41,394 shares of the railroad operator’s stock worth $9,785,000 after purchasing an additional 3,906 shares during the period. Finally, MJP Associates Inc. ADV increased its stake in shares of Union Pacific by 3.3% during the third quarter. MJP Associates Inc. ADV now owns 1,868 shares of the railroad operator’s stock worth $442,000 after purchasing an additional 59 shares during the period. Institutional investors own 80.38% of the company’s stock.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

A number of brokerages have commented on UNP. The Goldman Sachs Group reaffirmed a “neutral” rating and issued a $267.00 price objective on shares of Union Pacific in a report on Tuesday, January 27th. Raymond James Financial reissued a “strong-buy” rating on shares of Union Pacific in a research report on Tuesday, January 27th. Citigroup reaffirmed a “buy” rating and set a $270.00 price target (up from $265.00) on shares of Union Pacific in a research report on Wednesday, January 28th. Susquehanna reiterated a “buy” rating on shares of Union Pacific in a research note on Monday, January 19th. Finally, BMO Capital Markets reissued a “market perform” rating and issued a $295.00 price objective on shares of Union Pacific in a report on Thursday. One research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, thirteen have assigned a Buy rating and ten have given a Hold rating to the company. According to MarketBeat.com, Union Pacific has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $260.14.

Union Pacific Stock Down 0.9%

Shares of NYSE UNP opened at $262.70 on Friday. The company has a market cap of $155.88 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 21.95, a PEG ratio of 2.89 and a beta of 0.98. The company has a current ratio of 0.91, a quick ratio of 0.75 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.64. Union Pacific Corporation has a 12 month low of $204.66 and a 12 month high of $265.64. The stock has a 50-day moving average price of $238.69 and a two-hundred day moving average price of $229.70.

Union Pacific (NYSE:UNP) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, January 27th. The railroad operator reported $2.86 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate 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 for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $6.15 billion. During the same quarter last year, the company posted $2.91 earnings per share. The firm’s quarterly revenue was down .6% on a year-over-year basis. As a group, analysts forecast that Union Pacific Corporation will post 11.99 earnings per share for the current fiscal 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 $1.38 dividend. This represents a $5.52 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 2.1%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, February 27th. Union Pacific’s payout ratio is currently 46.12%.

Union Pacific 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.