Malaga Cove Capital LLC Increases Stake in Union Pacific Co. (NYSE:UNP)

Malaga Cove Capital LLC lifted its position in Union Pacific Co. (NYSE:UNP) by 1.4% in the 2nd quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The fund owned 3,693 shares of the railroad operator’s stock after acquiring an additional 52 shares during the quarter. Malaga Cove Capital LLC’s holdings in Union Pacific were worth $836,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Other hedge funds also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Norges Bank bought a new position in shares of Union Pacific during the fourth quarter valued at approximately $1,832,127,000. Capital Research Global Investors grew its position in Union Pacific by 7.6% in the 1st quarter. Capital Research Global Investors now owns 7,370,752 shares of the railroad operator’s stock valued at $1,812,689,000 after acquiring an additional 518,985 shares during the last quarter. Fisher Asset Management LLC increased its stake in Union Pacific by 2.0% in the fourth quarter. Fisher Asset Management LLC now owns 5,856,266 shares of the railroad operator’s stock worth $1,438,417,000 after purchasing an additional 113,946 shares during the period. Franklin Resources Inc. lifted its position in shares of Union Pacific by 7.1% during the fourth quarter. Franklin Resources Inc. now owns 5,504,181 shares of the railroad operator’s stock worth $1,351,937,000 after purchasing an additional 364,029 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Clearbridge Investments LLC lifted its position in shares of Union Pacific by 5.7% during the first quarter. Clearbridge Investments LLC now owns 4,396,974 shares of the railroad operator’s stock worth $1,081,348,000 after purchasing an additional 237,083 shares during the last quarter. 80.38% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

Union Pacific Stock Up 0.6 %

Shares of UNP stock opened at $251.11 on Tuesday. The stock’s fifty day moving average price is $241.08 and its 200 day moving average price is $239.22. Union Pacific Co. has a 1-year low of $199.33 and a 1-year high of $258.66. The company has a market cap of $152.98 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 23.96, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.21 and a beta of 1.05. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.89, a current ratio of 1.05 and a quick ratio of 0.86.

Union Pacific (NYSE:UNP) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, July 25th. The railroad operator reported $2.74 earnings per share for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $2.71 by $0.03. The business had revenue of $6.01 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $6.05 billion. Union Pacific had a return on equity of 42.62% and a net margin of 26.90%. The company’s revenue was up .7% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter in the previous year, the firm earned $2.57 earnings per share. On average, research analysts expect that Union Pacific Co. will post 11.11 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Union Pacific Increases Dividend

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, September 30th. Shareholders of record on Friday, August 30th will be issued a $1.34 dividend. The ex-dividend date is Friday, August 30th. This represents a $5.36 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 2.13%. This is a boost from Union Pacific’s previous quarterly dividend of $1.30. Union Pacific’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 51.15%.

Insider Activity

In other Union Pacific news, President Elizabeth F. Whited sold 3,552 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, July 30th. The stock was sold at an average price of $246.59, for a total transaction of $875,887.68. Following the sale, the president now owns 64,945 shares in the company, valued at approximately $16,014,787.55. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which can be accessed through the SEC website. Corporate insiders own 0.28% of the company’s stock.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several research analysts recently commented on UNP shares. Barclays reduced their price target on shares of Union Pacific from $290.00 to $280.00 and set an “overweight” rating on the stock in a research note on Friday, July 26th. Susquehanna reduced their target price on shares of Union Pacific from $270.00 to $250.00 and set a “neutral” rating on the stock in a research report on Tuesday, June 25th. Benchmark reiterated a “buy” rating and issued a $266.00 price target on shares of Union Pacific in a report on Monday, July 29th. Daiwa America downgraded Union Pacific from a “moderate buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a report on Wednesday, September 4th. Finally, Sanford C. Bernstein lowered their target price on Union Pacific from $290.00 to $273.00 and set an “outperform” rating for the company in a report on Monday, July 8th. Eight equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, twelve have given a buy rating and one has assigned a strong buy rating to the company’s stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the company presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $258.79.

Union Pacific Profile

Union Pacific Corporation, through its subsidiary, Union Pacific Railroad Company, operates in the railroad business in the United States. The company offers transportation services for grain and grain products, fertilizers, food and refrigerated products, and coal and renewables to grain processors, animal feeders, ethanol producers, renewable biofuel producers, and other agricultural users; and construction products, industrial chemicals, plastics, forest products, specialized products, metals and ores, petroleum, liquid petroleum gases, soda ash, and sand, as well as finished automobiles, automotive parts, and merchandise in intermodal containers.