Balentine LLC Grows Stake in Union Pacific Corporation $UNP

Balentine LLC raised its stake in Union Pacific Corporation (NYSE:UNP) by 19.1% during the second quarter, Holdings Channel reports. The fund owned 1,133 shares of the railroad operator’s stock after buying an additional 182 shares during the period. Balentine LLC’s holdings in Union Pacific were worth $261,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission.

Other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. CBIZ Investment Advisory Services LLC boosted its stake in Union Pacific by 1,400.0% in the first quarter. CBIZ Investment Advisory Services LLC now owns 120 shares of the railroad operator’s stock valued at $28,000 after acquiring an additional 112 shares during the last quarter. Financial Gravity Asset Management Inc. purchased a new position in Union Pacific in the first quarter valued at about $32,000. WPG Advisers LLC purchased a new position in Union Pacific in the first quarter valued at about $33,000. Cornerstone Planning Group LLC boosted its stake in Union Pacific by 50.5% in the first quarter. Cornerstone Planning Group LLC now owns 167 shares of the railroad operator’s stock valued at $37,000 after acquiring an additional 56 shares during the last quarter. Finally, GFG Capital LLC purchased a new position in Union Pacific in the second quarter valued at about $38,000. 80.38% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Union Pacific Stock Performance

Union Pacific stock opened at $220.80 on Friday. The firm’s 50 day simple moving average is $224.37 and its 200 day simple moving average is $224.29. The company has a current ratio of 0.75, a quick ratio of 0.60 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.75. The firm has a market capitalization of $130.97 billion, a PE ratio of 18.76, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.27 and a beta of 1.07. Union Pacific Corporation has a 1-year low of $204.66 and a 1-year high of $256.84.

Union Pacific (NYSE:UNP) last posted its earnings results on Thursday, October 23rd. The railroad operator reported $3.08 earnings per share for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $2.99 by $0.09. Union Pacific had a net margin of 28.73% and a return on equity of 42.23%. The business had revenue of $6.24 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $6.24 billion. During the same quarter in the prior year, the firm posted $2.75 EPS. Union Pacific’s revenue was up 2.5% on a year-over-year basis. As a group, analysts expect that Union Pacific Corporation will post 11.99 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Analyst Ratings Changes

Several research firms have recently issued reports on UNP. The Goldman Sachs Group set a $263.00 price target on shares of Union Pacific and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a research report on Thursday, October 23rd. UBS Group set a $253.00 price target on shares of Union Pacific and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a research report on Friday, October 3rd. Cowen reissued a “buy” rating on shares of Union Pacific in a research report on Friday, October 24th. Morgan Stanley lowered their price target on shares of Union Pacific from $220.00 to $215.00 and set an “equal weight” rating on the stock in a research report on Monday, July 7th. Finally, Argus lowered shares of Union Pacific from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research report on Tuesday, August 12th. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, sixteen have assigned a Buy rating and eleven have given a Hold rating to the company. According to MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $261.63.

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.