Eagle Ridge Investment Management Reduces Stake in Union Pacific Co. (NYSE:UNP)

Eagle Ridge Investment Management cut its stake in Union Pacific Co. (NYSE:UNP) by 8.0% in the third quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The fund owned 5,211 shares of the railroad operator’s stock after selling 454 shares during the quarter. Eagle Ridge Investment Management’s holdings in Union Pacific were worth $1,284,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Several other institutional investors have also modified their holdings of the stock. Marshall Wace LLP increased its position in Union Pacific by 272.3% during the second quarter. Marshall Wace LLP now owns 1,678,108 shares of the railroad operator’s stock worth $379,689,000 after purchasing an additional 1,227,318 shares during the last quarter. Capital World Investors grew its stake in shares of Union Pacific by 35.3% in the 1st quarter. Capital World Investors now owns 4,118,477 shares of the railroad operator’s stock valued at $1,012,857,000 after buying an additional 1,073,625 shares during the period. International Assets Investment Management LLC increased its holdings in shares of Union Pacific by 19,878.6% during the 3rd quarter. International Assets Investment Management LLC now owns 896,040 shares of the railroad operator’s stock worth $220,856,000 after buying an additional 891,555 shares during the last quarter. Capital Research Global Investors raised its position in shares of Union Pacific by 7.6% during the 1st quarter. Capital Research Global Investors now owns 7,370,752 shares of the railroad operator’s stock valued at $1,812,689,000 after buying an additional 518,985 shares during the period. Finally, Bridges Investment Management Inc. lifted its holdings in Union Pacific by 186.4% in the second quarter. Bridges Investment Management Inc. now owns 704,769 shares of the railroad operator’s stock valued at $159,461,000 after acquiring an additional 458,664 shares during the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 80.38% of the company’s stock.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other 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 sale, the president now directly owns 64,945 shares in the company, valued at approximately $16,014,787.55. This trade represents a 0.00 % decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this link. 0.28% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several research firms have issued reports on UNP. Stifel Nicolaus cut their target price 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. StockNews.com downgraded Union Pacific from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research report on Tuesday, October 1st. Barclays decreased their target price on shares of Union Pacific from $290.00 to $280.00 and set an “overweight” rating on the stock in a research report on Friday, July 26th. Raymond James lifted their price target on shares of Union Pacific from $265.00 to $275.00 and gave the company a “strong-buy” rating in a research report on Monday, October 14th. Finally, Susquehanna upped their price objective on shares of Union Pacific from $250.00 to $260.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a report on Wednesday, October 2nd. Nine equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, ten have issued a buy rating and one has given a strong buy rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company currently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $260.53.

Union Pacific Price Performance

Shares of NYSE UNP opened at $230.75 on Friday. The stock’s 50-day moving average is $246.57 and its two-hundred day moving average is $238.60. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.89, a current ratio of 1.05 and a quick ratio of 0.86. The company has a market cap of $140.57 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 21.67, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.23 and a beta of 1.05. Union Pacific Co. has a 1-year low of $199.97 and a 1-year high of $258.66.

Union Pacific (NYSE:UNP) last released its earnings results on Thursday, July 25th. The railroad operator reported $2.74 earnings per share for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $2.71 by $0.03. Union Pacific had a net margin of 26.90% and a return on equity of 42.62%. The firm had revenue of $6.01 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $6.05 billion. During the same period in the prior year, the firm earned $2.57 earnings per share. The business’s quarterly revenue was up .7% compared to the same quarter last year. Analysts forecast that Union Pacific Co. will post 11.07 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Union Pacific Profile

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.