CCLA Investment Management Acquires 42,561 Shares of Union Pacific Co. (NYSE:UNP)

CCLA Investment Management raised its holdings in shares of Union Pacific Co. (NYSE:UNP) by 14.0% during the 2nd quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The fund owned 346,636 shares of the railroad operator’s stock after purchasing an additional 42,561 shares during the period. CCLA Investment Management owned approximately 0.06% of Union Pacific worth $77,525,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Other institutional investors and hedge funds have also modified their holdings of the company. Capital Research Global Investors increased its holdings in Union Pacific by 7.6% in the 1st quarter. Capital Research Global Investors now owns 7,370,752 shares of the railroad operator’s stock worth $1,812,689,000 after buying an additional 518,985 shares in the last quarter. Fisher Asset Management LLC raised its holdings in shares of Union Pacific by 2.0% during the fourth quarter. Fisher Asset Management LLC now owns 5,856,266 shares of the railroad operator’s stock valued at $1,438,417,000 after purchasing an additional 113,946 shares during the last quarter. Clearbridge Investments LLC lifted its position in Union Pacific by 5.7% during the first quarter. Clearbridge Investments LLC now owns 4,396,974 shares of the railroad operator’s stock valued at $1,081,348,000 after purchasing an additional 237,083 shares during the period. Capital World Investors boosted its holdings in Union Pacific by 35.3% in the first quarter. Capital World Investors now owns 4,118,477 shares of the railroad operator’s stock worth $1,012,857,000 after purchasing an additional 1,073,625 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Canada Pension Plan Investment Board grew its position in Union Pacific by 5.6% in the 1st quarter. Canada Pension Plan Investment Board now owns 3,896,601 shares of the railroad operator’s stock worth $958,291,000 after purchasing an additional 205,640 shares during the period. Institutional investors own 80.38% of the company’s stock.

Union Pacific Price Performance

UNP stock opened at $253.55 on Wednesday. The company has a market capitalization of $154.70 billion, a PE ratio of 24.19, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.20 and a beta of 1.05. The company’s fifty day moving average price is $244.22 and its 200-day moving average price is $239.08. Union Pacific Co. has a one year low of $199.33 and a one year high of $258.66. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.89, a quick ratio of 0.86 and a current ratio of 1.05.

Union Pacific (NYSE:UNP) last released its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, July 25th. The railroad operator reported $2.74 EPS for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $2.71 by $0.03. Union Pacific had a net margin of 26.90% and a return on equity of 42.62%. The business had revenue of $6.01 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $6.05 billion. During the same quarter in the prior year, the firm earned $2.57 EPS. The business’s revenue was up .7% on a year-over-year basis. On average, equities analysts anticipate that Union Pacific Co. will post 11.11 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Union Pacific Increases Dividend

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, September 30th. Shareholders of record on Friday, August 30th will be issued a dividend of $1.34 per share. This represents a $5.36 annualized dividend and a yield of 2.11%. The ex-dividend date is Friday, August 30th. This is a boost from Union Pacific’s previous quarterly dividend of $1.30. Union Pacific’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 51.15%.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In related news, President Elizabeth F. Whited sold 3,552 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction on Tuesday, July 30th. The shares were sold at an average price of $246.59, for a total value of $875,887.68. Following the completion of the transaction, the president now directly owns 64,945 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $16,014,787.55. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available at the SEC website. Corporate insiders own 0.28% of the company’s stock.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

A number of equities analysts have recently issued reports on UNP shares. Loop Capital downgraded Union Pacific from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating and dropped their price target for the stock from $276.00 to $238.00 in a research note on Monday, June 17th. Stifel Nicolaus cut their price target on Union Pacific from $267.00 to $265.00 and set a “buy” rating for the company in a research note on Wednesday, July 17th. Barclays reduced their price target on shares of Union Pacific from $290.00 to $280.00 and set an “overweight” rating for the company in a research report on Friday, July 26th. Sanford C. Bernstein cut their target price on shares of Union Pacific from $290.00 to $273.00 and set an “outperform” rating for the company in a research report on Monday, July 8th. Finally, Benchmark reiterated a “buy” rating and issued a $266.00 price target on shares of Union Pacific in a research report on Monday, July 29th. Eight equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, twelve have given a buy rating and one has issued a strong buy rating to the company. According to MarketBeat, the company has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $258.79.

About Union Pacific

Union Pacific Corporation, through its subsidiary, Union Pacific Railroad Company, operates in the railroad business in the United States. The company offers transportation services for grain and grain products, fertilizers, food and refrigerated products, and coal and renewables to grain processors, animal feeders, ethanol producers, renewable biofuel producers, and other agricultural users; and construction products, industrial chemicals, plastics, forest products, specialized products, metals and ores, petroleum, liquid petroleum gases, soda ash, and sand, as well as finished automobiles, automotive parts, and merchandise in intermodal containers.