Union Pacific Co. (NYSE:UNP) Shares Sold by BRITISH COLUMBIA INVESTMENT MANAGEMENT Corp

BRITISH COLUMBIA INVESTMENT MANAGEMENT Corp reduced its stake in shares of Union Pacific Co. (NYSE:UNP) by 40.9% during the 3rd quarter, Holdings Channel.com reports. The institutional investor owned 147,801 shares of the railroad operator’s stock after selling 102,392 shares during the quarter. BRITISH COLUMBIA INVESTMENT MANAGEMENT Corp’s holdings in Union Pacific were worth $36,430,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Other institutional investors have also made changes to their positions in the company. Shellback Capital LP increased its stake in shares of Union Pacific by 28.2% in the second quarter. Shellback Capital LP now owns 20,000 shares of the railroad operator’s stock worth $4,525,000 after purchasing an additional 4,400 shares during the period. Peoples Bank KS bought a new position in Union Pacific during the third quarter valued at about $834,000. Maj Invest Holding A S increased its stake in Union Pacific by 0.3% during the third quarter. Maj Invest Holding A S now owns 676,098 shares of the railroad operator’s stock valued at $166,645,000 after acquiring an additional 2,202 shares during the period. Radnor Capital Management LLC acquired a new stake in Union Pacific during the third quarter valued at approximately $2,923,000. Finally, Signature Estate & Investment Advisors LLC boosted its holdings in Union Pacific by 190.5% during the third quarter. Signature Estate & Investment Advisors LLC now owns 4,430 shares of the railroad operator’s stock valued at $1,092,000 after purchasing an additional 2,905 shares in the last quarter. 80.38% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

Analyst Ratings Changes

UNP has been the topic of a number of recent research reports. Stifel Nicolaus decreased their price objective on Union Pacific from $265.00 to $262.00 and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a report on Friday, October 25th. Benchmark reaffirmed a “buy” rating and set a $266.00 price objective on shares of Union Pacific in a report on Friday, October 25th. BMO Capital Markets decreased their price objective on Union Pacific from $280.00 to $275.00 and set an “outperform” rating on the stock in a report on Friday, September 20th. Citigroup lifted their price objective on Union Pacific from $255.00 to $267.00 and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a report on Tuesday, November 12th. Finally, Barclays lifted their price objective on Union Pacific from $275.00 to $285.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a report on Wednesday, November 13th. Nine analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, eleven have issued a buy rating and one has issued a strong buy rating to the company’s stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, Union Pacific currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $259.80.

Union Pacific Price Performance

Shares of NYSE UNP opened at $244.66 on Friday. The company has a fifty day moving average price of $240.12 and a 200 day moving average price of $238.55. Union Pacific Co. has a 1-year low of $218.55 and a 1-year high of $258.66. The company has a current ratio of 0.77, a quick ratio of 0.63 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.79. The firm has a market cap of $148.33 billion, a PE ratio of 22.49, a PEG ratio of 2.43 and a beta of 1.06.

Union Pacific (NYSE:UNP) last issued its earnings results on Thursday, October 24th. The railroad operator reported $2.75 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $2.78 by ($0.03). Union Pacific had a net margin of 27.33% and a return on equity of 41.79%. The firm had revenue of $6.09 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $6.14 billion. During the same quarter last year, the business posted $2.51 earnings per share. The company’s revenue for the quarter was up 2.5% on a year-over-year basis. Research analysts predict that Union Pacific Co. will post 10.94 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Union Pacific Announces Dividend

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, December 30th. Investors of record on Monday, December 9th will be paid a $1.34 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Monday, December 9th. This represents a $5.36 annualized dividend and a yield of 2.19%. Union Pacific’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 49.22%.

Union Pacific Company 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.