Handelsbanken Fonder AB Decreases Stake in Union Pacific Corporation $UNP

Handelsbanken Fonder AB lessened its stake in shares of Union Pacific Corporation (NYSE:UNP) by 4.1% in the second quarter, according to the company in its most recent Form 13F filing with the SEC. The firm owned 264,491 shares of the railroad operator’s stock after selling 11,378 shares during the quarter. Handelsbanken Fonder AB’s holdings in Union Pacific were worth $71,942,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Several other institutional investors and hedge funds have also recently made changes to their positions in the company. Bay Colony Advisory Group Inc d b a Bay Colony Advisors increased its stake in shares of Union Pacific by 48.2% in the second quarter. Bay Colony Advisory Group Inc d b a Bay Colony Advisors now owns 2,746 shares of the railroad operator’s stock worth $747,000 after buying an additional 893 shares during the period. Financial Management Professionals Inc. boosted its position in Union Pacific by 12.3% during the 2nd quarter. Financial Management Professionals Inc. now owns 2,613 shares of the railroad operator’s stock valued at $711,000 after buying an additional 286 shares during the period. Shrier Wealth Management LLC bought a new stake in Union Pacific in the 2nd quarter worth $412,000. Revolve Wealth Partners LLC grew its holdings in Union Pacific by 189.9% in the 2nd quarter. Revolve Wealth Partners LLC now owns 2,603 shares of the railroad operator’s stock worth $708,000 after acquiring an additional 1,705 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Vista Investment Partners LLC grew its holdings in Union Pacific by 123.7% in the 2nd quarter. Vista Investment Partners LLC now owns 4,295 shares of the railroad operator’s stock worth $1,168,000 after acquiring an additional 2,375 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors own 80.38% of the company’s stock.

Insider Buying and Selling at Union Pacific

In related news, EVP Eric J. Gehringer sold 2,991 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, June 3rd. The stock was sold at an average price of $263.96, for a total transaction of $789,504.36. Following the completion of the transaction, the executive vice president owned 43,012 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $11,353,447.52. This trade represents a 6.50% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at this hyperlink. 0.22% of the stock is owned by insiders.

Union Pacific Stock Performance

Shares of UNP stock opened at $292.31 on Tuesday. The company’s fifty day moving average price is $280.71 and its 200-day moving average price is $263.56. The stock has a market cap of $173.66 billion, a PE ratio of 23.67, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 3.00 and a beta of 0.96. The company has a current ratio of 0.99, a quick ratio of 0.82 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.40. Union Pacific Corporation has a 12 month low of $210.84 and a 12 month high of $315.99.

Union Pacific (NYSE:UNP) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, July 23rd. The railroad operator reported $3.41 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $3.26 by $0.15. The company had revenue of $6.86 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $6.72 billion. Union Pacific had a net margin of 28.85% and a return on equity of 38.46%. Union Pacific’s revenue was up 11.5% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period last year, the company posted $3.03 EPS. On average, equities analysts expect that Union Pacific Corporation will post 12.9 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Union Pacific Increases Dividend

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, September 30th. Investors of record on Monday, August 31st will be paid a $1.42 dividend. This represents a $5.68 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 1.9%. The ex-dividend date is Monday, August 31st. This is an increase from Union Pacific’s previous quarterly dividend of $1.38. Union Pacific’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 44.70%.

Analyst Ratings Changes

Several brokerages have recently commented on UNP. JPMorgan Chase & Co. upped their price objective on shares of Union Pacific from $304.00 to $334.00 and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a research note on Friday, July 24th. Benchmark raised their target price on Union Pacific from $325.00 to $335.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research note on Friday, July 24th. Citizens Jmp assumed coverage on Union Pacific in a report on Wednesday, July 15th. They set an “outperform” rating and a $350.00 price target on the stock. BMO Capital Markets reaffirmed a “market perform” rating and set a $320.00 price target (up from $285.00) on shares of Union Pacific in a research report on Friday, July 24th. Finally, The Goldman Sachs Group set a $317.00 price objective on Union Pacific and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a report on Thursday, July 23rd. Two investment analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, thirteen have issued a Buy rating and seven have assigned a Hold rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the company currently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $320.89.

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.