Union Pacific Corporation $UNP Shares Sold by QRG Capital Management Inc.

QRG Capital Management Inc. decreased its position in shares of Union Pacific Corporation (NYSE:UNP) by 8.4% during the 2nd quarter, HoldingsChannel.com reports. The firm owned 87,242 shares of the railroad operator’s stock after selling 7,984 shares during the quarter. QRG Capital Management Inc.’s holdings in Union Pacific were worth $20,073,000 as of its most recent filing with the SEC.

Several other institutional investors and hedge funds have also made changes to their positions in UNP. Vest Financial LLC increased its position in Union Pacific by 45.4% during the first quarter. Vest Financial LLC now owns 6,992 shares of the railroad operator’s stock worth $1,652,000 after buying an additional 2,183 shares during the period. Foster Group Inc. acquired a new position in shares of Union Pacific in the 1st quarter valued at $251,000. SeaCrest Wealth Management LLC raised its position in Union Pacific by 13.2% in the 1st quarter. SeaCrest Wealth Management LLC now owns 2,610 shares of the railroad operator’s stock valued at $617,000 after purchasing an additional 304 shares during the last quarter. Constitution Capital LLC raised its position in Union Pacific by 3.2% in the 1st quarter. Constitution Capital LLC now owns 22,828 shares of the railroad operator’s stock valued at $5,393,000 after purchasing an additional 700 shares during the last quarter. Finally, First National Corp MA ADV grew its position in Union Pacific by 20.0% during the 1st quarter. First National Corp MA ADV now owns 1,719 shares of the railroad operator’s stock worth $406,000 after purchasing an additional 287 shares during the last quarter. 80.38% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Union Pacific Stock Performance

Shares of UNP stock opened at $236.60 on Friday. The company has a current ratio of 0.65, a quick ratio of 0.53 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.86. The stock has a 50 day simple moving average of $223.67 and a 200-day simple moving average of $224.51. The company has a market cap of $140.33 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 20.56, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.47 and a beta of 1.07. Union Pacific Corporation has a 12-month low of $204.66 and a 12-month high of $256.84.

Union Pacific (NYSE:UNP) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, July 24th. The railroad operator reported $3.03 earnings per share for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates 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 analyst estimates of $6.09 billion. During the same quarter in the prior year, the company posted $2.74 earnings per share. Union Pacific’s quarterly revenue was up 2.4% on a year-over-year basis. On average, equities analysts forecast that Union Pacific Corporation will post 11.99 EPS for the current year.

Union Pacific Increases Dividend

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Tuesday, September 30th. Investors of record on Friday, August 29th were paid a $1.38 dividend. This represents a $5.52 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 2.3%. This is a positive change from Union Pacific’s previous quarterly dividend of $1.34. The ex-dividend date was Friday, August 29th. Union Pacific’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 47.96%.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

UNP has been the subject of a number of research reports. Raymond James Financial reaffirmed a “strong-buy” rating on shares of Union Pacific in a report on Tuesday, July 15th. UBS Group set a $253.00 price objective on Union Pacific and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a research note on Friday. Loop Capital upgraded Union Pacific from a “sell” rating to a “hold” rating and lifted their target price for the company from $214.00 to $227.00 in a research note on Tuesday, September 16th. Barclays lowered Union Pacific from an “overweight” rating to an “equal weight” rating in a report on Wednesday, July 30th. Finally, Susquehanna reiterated a “positive” rating and issued a $272.00 price objective (up from $257.00) on shares of Union Pacific in a research report on Thursday, September 25th. One analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, fifteen have assigned a Buy rating and eleven have issued a Hold rating to the company’s stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the stock presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $260.54.

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.