NJ State Employees Deferred Compensation Plan Trims Position in Union Pacific Corporation $UNP

NJ State Employees Deferred Compensation Plan lowered its position in Union Pacific Corporation (NYSE:UNP) by 14.0% in the third quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The firm owned 16,090 shares of the railroad operator’s stock after selling 2,610 shares during the quarter. NJ State Employees Deferred Compensation Plan’s holdings in Union Pacific were worth $3,803,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

A number of other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also made changes to their positions in the company. Acadian Asset Management LLC raised its holdings in Union Pacific by 40.4% in the 1st quarter. Acadian Asset Management LLC now owns 2,312 shares of the railroad operator’s stock valued at $546,000 after buying an additional 665 shares during the period. Salomon & Ludwin LLC raised its stake in shares of Union Pacific by 217.4% in the 2nd quarter. Salomon & Ludwin LLC now owns 292 shares of the railroad operator’s stock valued at $69,000 after acquiring an additional 200 shares during the period. West Tower Group LLC acquired a new position in shares of Union Pacific in the 2nd quarter worth approximately $414,000. Stephens Inc. AR lifted its stake in Union Pacific by 7.2% during the second quarter. Stephens Inc. AR now owns 49,440 shares of the railroad operator’s stock worth $11,375,000 after purchasing an additional 3,334 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Accretive Wealth Partners LLC lifted its stake in Union Pacific by 1.5% during the 2nd quarter. Accretive Wealth Partners LLC now owns 7,635 shares of the railroad operator’s stock worth $1,757,000 after acquiring an additional 112 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 80.38% of the company’s stock.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

Several equities analysts have commented on the stock. Susquehanna reissued a “buy” rating on shares of Union Pacific in a research report on Monday, January 19th. Royal Bank Of Canada set a $280.00 price target on Union Pacific in a report on Thursday, December 18th. Weiss Ratings raised Union Pacific from a “hold (c+)” rating to a “buy (b-)” rating in a report on Friday, February 6th. Barclays reaffirmed an “overweight” rating and issued a $285.00 target price (up from $270.00) on shares of Union Pacific in a report on Tuesday, December 16th. Finally, Raymond James Financial reaffirmed a “strong-buy” rating on shares of Union Pacific in a research note on Tuesday, January 27th. One analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, thirteen have issued a Buy rating and ten have given a Hold rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the stock currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $258.32.

Union Pacific Price Performance

Union Pacific stock opened at $260.55 on Tuesday. The company has a quick ratio of 0.75, a current ratio of 0.91 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.64. The firm has a market capitalization of $154.61 billion, a PE ratio of 21.77, a P/E/G ratio of 2.84 and a beta of 0.98. The firm’s 50-day simple moving average is $236.94 and its 200 day simple moving average is $228.92. Union Pacific Corporation has a 52 week low of $204.66 and a 52 week high of $265.37.

Union Pacific (NYSE:UNP) last released its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, January 27th. The railroad operator reported $2.86 EPS for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $2.92 by ($0.06). Union Pacific had a net margin of 29.12% and a return on equity of 40.89%. The business had revenue of $6.09 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $6.15 billion. During the same quarter in the prior year, the company earned $2.91 earnings per share. The firm’s revenue for the quarter was down .6% compared to the same quarter last year. On average, equities research analysts predict that Union Pacific Corporation will post 11.99 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Union Pacific Dividend Announcement

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, March 31st. Investors of record on Friday, February 27th will be paid a $1.38 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, February 27th. This represents a $5.52 annualized dividend and a yield of 2.1%. Union Pacific’s payout ratio is presently 46.12%.

Union Pacific Company Profile

Union Pacific Corporation (NYSE: UNP) is one of the largest freight railroad companies in the United States. Its principal operating subsidiary, Union Pacific Railroad, has roots that trace back to the Pacific Railway Act of 1862 and the construction of the first transcontinental rail link completed in 1869. The company is headquartered in Omaha, Nebraska, and operates as a holding company for rail transportation and related services.

Union Pacific’s core business is the movement of freight by rail across an extensive rail network serving the western two‑thirds of the United States.