First Financial Bank Trust Division Boosts Stake in Union Pacific Corporation $UNP

First Financial Bank Trust Division boosted its stake in shares of Union Pacific Corporation (NYSE:UNP) by 4.6% in the second quarter, Holdings Channel reports. The institutional investor owned 2,931 shares of the railroad operator’s stock after acquiring an additional 128 shares during the period. First Financial Bank Trust Division’s holdings in Union Pacific were worth $674,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

A number of other hedge funds also recently bought and sold shares of the stock. Central Pacific Bank Trust Division lifted its holdings in Union Pacific by 7.3% during the second quarter. Central Pacific Bank Trust Division now owns 1,258 shares of the railroad operator’s stock worth $289,000 after buying an additional 86 shares during the period. Cullen Investment Group LTD. lifted its holdings in Union Pacific by 3.9% during the second quarter. Cullen Investment Group LTD. now owns 51,729 shares of the railroad operator’s stock worth $11,902,000 after buying an additional 1,928 shares during the period. AG2R LA Mondiale Gestion D Actifs purchased a new stake in Union Pacific during the first quarter worth $4,982,000. Voya Investment Management LLC lifted its holdings in Union Pacific by 0.3% during the first quarter. Voya Investment Management LLC now owns 1,554,972 shares of the railroad operator’s stock worth $367,347,000 after buying an additional 4,921 shares during the period. Finally, Howe & Rusling Inc. lifted its holdings in Union Pacific by 0.3% during the first quarter. Howe & Rusling Inc. now owns 49,683 shares of the railroad operator’s stock worth $11,737,000 after buying an additional 165 shares during the period. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 80.38% of the company’s stock.

Union Pacific Price Performance

NYSE UNP opened at $214.73 on Friday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.86, a current ratio of 0.65 and a quick ratio of 0.53. The stock’s fifty day moving average price is $224.46 and its 200 day moving average price is $226.06. Union Pacific Corporation has a 1 year low of $204.66 and a 1 year high of $256.84. The company has a market cap of $127.34 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 18.66, a PEG ratio of 2.10 and a beta of 1.03.

Union Pacific (NYSE:UNP) last released its earnings results on Thursday, July 24th. The railroad operator reported $3.03 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $2.84 by $0.19. Union Pacific had a return on equity of 41.73% and a net margin of 28.43%.The firm had revenue of $6.15 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $6.09 billion. During the same period in the prior year, the firm earned $2.74 EPS. The firm’s revenue was up 2.4% on a year-over-year basis. As a group, equities research analysts forecast that Union Pacific Corporation will post 11.99 earnings per share for the current year.

Union Pacific Increases Dividend

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, September 30th. Investors of record on Friday, August 29th will be given a $1.38 dividend. This represents a $5.52 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 2.6%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, August 29th. This is a positive change from Union Pacific’s previous quarterly dividend of $1.34. Union Pacific’s payout ratio is currently 47.96%.

Analyst Ratings Changes

UNP has been the subject of a number of analyst reports. Sanford C. Bernstein upped their target price on Union Pacific from $271.00 to $286.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a report on Monday, July 21st. Bank of America upped their target price on Union Pacific from $256.00 to $262.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a report on Friday, May 16th. Robert W. Baird began coverage on Union Pacific in a research report on Tuesday, July 1st. They set a “neutral” rating and a $231.00 price target on the stock. Royal Bank Of Canada upped their price target on Union Pacific from $257.00 to $276.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a research report on Wednesday, July 30th. Finally, The Goldman Sachs Group reaffirmed a “neutral” rating and set a $263.00 price target on shares of Union Pacific in a research report on Monday, June 2nd. One analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, fourteen have given a Buy rating, ten have assigned a Hold rating and one has issued a Sell rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the company presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $258.21.

About Union Pacific

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.