Diamond Hill Capital Management LLC Investment Advisor Reduces Position in Union Pacific Corporation $UNP

Diamond Hill Capital Management LLC Investment Advisor lessened its stake in shares of Union Pacific Corporation (NYSE:UNP) by 34.8% during the second quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The fund owned 673,859 shares of the railroad operator’s stock after selling 359,938 shares during the quarter. Union Pacific comprises about 1.5% of Diamond Hill Capital Management LLC Investment Advisor’s investment portfolio, making the stock its 23rd biggest holding. Diamond Hill Capital Management LLC Investment Advisor’s holdings in Union Pacific were worth $183,290,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission.

Several other large investors also recently modified their holdings of the company. Rachor Investment Advisory Services LLC purchased a new position in Union Pacific in the fourth quarter worth about $25,000. Tucker Asset Management LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Union Pacific in the fourth quarter worth $25,000. SWAN Capital LLC raised its holdings in Union Pacific by 2,575.0% during the fourth quarter. SWAN Capital LLC now owns 107 shares of the railroad operator’s stock valued at $25,000 after acquiring an additional 103 shares during the period. High Point Wealth Management LLC bought a new stake in shares of Union Pacific during the fourth quarter valued at approximately $26,000. Finally, Cornerstone Financial Management LLC bought a new position in Union Pacific during the fourth quarter valued at approximately $27,000. Institutional investors own 80.38% of the company’s stock.

Insider Activity at Union Pacific

In other news, EVP Eric J. Gehringer sold 2,991 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, June 3rd. The shares were sold at an average price of $263.96, for a total value of $789,504.36. Following the completion of the sale, the executive vice president directly owned 43,012 shares in the company, valued at $11,353,447.52. This represents a 6.50% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at this link. 0.22% of the stock is owned by company insiders.

Union Pacific Stock Performance

Shares of UNP stock opened at $299.10 on Wednesday. The business’s 50 day moving average is $284.18 and its two-hundred day moving average is $266.34. Union Pacific Corporation has a 12-month low of $210.84 and a 12-month high of $315.99. The company has a market capitalization of $177.69 billion, a P/E ratio of 24.22, a P/E/G 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 (NYSE:UNP) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, July 23rd. The railroad operator reported $3.41 earnings per share for the quarter, topping 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%. The firm’s revenue for the quarter was up 11.5% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period in the prior year, the business posted $3.03 earnings per share. Analysts expect that Union Pacific Corporation will post 12.93 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Union Pacific Increases Dividend

The company also recently disclosed 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. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Monday, August 31st. This represents a $5.68 annualized dividend and a yield of 1.9%. This is an increase from Union Pacific’s previous quarterly dividend of $1.38. Union Pacific’s dividend payout ratio is currently 44.70%.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

A number of brokerages have recently commented on UNP. The Goldman Sachs Group set a $317.00 target price on Union Pacific and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a report on Thursday, July 23rd. Benchmark upped their price objective on Union Pacific from $325.00 to $335.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research note on Friday, July 24th. Susquehanna raised their price objective on Union Pacific from $305.00 to $333.00 and gave the stock a “positive” rating in a research report on Tuesday, July 14th. Robert W. Baird upped their price target on shares of Union Pacific from $311.00 to $344.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a research note on Monday, July 27th. Finally, BMO Capital Markets restated a “market perform” rating and issued a $320.00 price objective (up from $285.00) on shares of Union Pacific in a research note on Friday, July 24th. Two investment analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, thirteen have issued a Buy rating and six have assigned a Hold rating to the company’s stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the stock presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $320.89.

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.