Goelzer Investment Management Inc. Increases Holdings in Union Pacific Corporation $UNP

Goelzer Investment Management Inc. increased its position in shares of Union Pacific Corporation (NYSE:UNP) by 20.5% in the fourth quarter, HoldingsChannel reports. The firm owned 26,626 shares of the railroad operator’s stock after acquiring an additional 4,523 shares during the quarter. Goelzer Investment Management Inc.’s holdings in Union Pacific were worth $6,159,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission.

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

Union Pacific Stock Performance

NYSE:UNP opened at $239.06 on Friday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.64, a quick ratio of 0.75 and a current ratio of 0.91. The company has a fifty day moving average of $248.35 and a two-hundred day moving average of $235.05. The stock has a market capitalization of $141.86 billion, a PE ratio of 19.97, a P/E/G ratio of 2.61 and a beta of 0.95. Union Pacific Corporation has a fifty-two week low of $204.66 and a fifty-two week high of $268.14.

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

Union Pacific Announces Dividend

The business also recently declared 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 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 2.3%. Union Pacific’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 46.12%.

Analyst Ratings Changes

Several equities analysts have recently issued reports on UNP shares. Citigroup reissued a “buy” rating and issued a $270.00 price objective (up from $265.00) on shares of Union Pacific in a report on Wednesday, January 28th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. dropped their target price on Union Pacific from $270.00 to $265.00 and set a “neutral” rating on the stock in a report on Wednesday, January 28th. Weiss Ratings upgraded Union Pacific from a “hold (c+)” rating to a “buy (b-)” rating in a research report on Friday, February 6th. The Goldman Sachs Group reissued a “neutral” rating and issued a $267.00 price target on shares of Union Pacific in a report on Tuesday, January 27th. Finally, Susquehanna restated a “buy” rating on shares of Union Pacific in a research report on Monday, January 19th. One analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, fifteen have assigned a Buy rating and eight have issued a Hold rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the company has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $264.86.

Union Pacific 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.