Richard Bernstein Advisors LLC Lowers Holdings in Union Pacific Corporation $UNP

Richard Bernstein Advisors LLC lowered its stake in shares of Union Pacific Corporation (NYSE:UNP) by 55.3% in the third quarter, HoldingsChannel.com reports. The institutional investor owned 5,201 shares of the railroad operator’s stock after selling 6,434 shares during the period. Richard Bernstein Advisors LLC’s holdings in Union Pacific were worth $1,229,000 as of its most recent filing with the SEC.

Several other institutional investors and hedge funds have also modified their holdings of UNP. Union Bancaire Privee UBP SA lifted its stake in Union Pacific by 9.8% in the third quarter. Union Bancaire Privee UBP SA now owns 52,849 shares of the railroad operator’s stock valued at $12,492,000 after buying an additional 4,707 shares during the last quarter. Midwest Trust Co increased its stake in shares of Union Pacific by 2.8% during the third quarter. Midwest Trust Co now owns 281,036 shares of the railroad operator’s stock worth $66,428,000 after acquiring an additional 7,759 shares during the period. CX Institutional increased its position in Union Pacific by 39.8% during the 3rd quarter. CX Institutional now owns 65,826 shares of the railroad operator’s stock worth $15,559,000 after purchasing an additional 18,742 shares during the period. Thrivent Financial for Lutherans raised its position in Union Pacific by 15.1% in the third quarter. Thrivent Financial for Lutherans now owns 135,188 shares of the railroad operator’s stock worth $31,955,000 after acquiring an additional 17,696 shares in the last quarter. Finally, AustralianSuper Pty Ltd purchased a new position in shares of Union Pacific in the 3rd quarter valued at about $802,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 80.38% of the company’s stock.

Union Pacific Stock Down 1.4%

Shares of Union Pacific stock opened at $250.16 on Wednesday. The business has a 50-day moving average price of $245.61 and a 200 day moving average price of $233.41. Union Pacific Corporation has a fifty-two week low of $204.66 and a fifty-two week high of $268.14. The firm has a market cap of $148.44 billion, a P/E ratio of 20.90, a P/E/G ratio of 2.77 and a beta of 0.95. The company has a quick ratio of 0.75, a current ratio of 0.91 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.64.

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

Union Pacific Announces Dividend

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, March 31st. Investors of record on Friday, February 27th will be paid a dividend of $1.38 per share. The ex-dividend date is Friday, February 27th. This represents a $5.52 annualized dividend and a yield of 2.2%. Union Pacific’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 46.12%.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several research analysts have recently issued reports on the company. Robert W. Baird set a $311.00 price target on Union Pacific and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a research note on Friday. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft set a $245.00 price objective on Union Pacific in a report on Thursday, December 11th. Barclays restated 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. Royal Bank Of Canada set a $280.00 price target on Union Pacific in a research note on Thursday, December 18th. Finally, The Goldman Sachs Group reissued a “neutral” rating and issued a $267.00 target price on shares of Union Pacific in a research note on Tuesday, January 27th. One analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, fourteen have assigned a Buy rating and nine have given a Hold rating to the company’s stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the company currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $263.77.

About Union Pacific

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.