Union Pacific Co. (NYSE:UNP) Shares Sold by Beacon Investment Advisory Services Inc.

Beacon Investment Advisory Services Inc. lessened its stake in shares of Union Pacific Co. (NYSE:UNP) by 0.9% during the third quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the SEC. The fund owned 108,505 shares of the railroad operator’s stock after selling 931 shares during the quarter. Beacon Investment Advisory Services Inc.’s holdings in Union Pacific were worth $26,744,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

A number of other institutional investors also recently made changes to their positions in UNP. Strategic Investment Solutions Inc. IL purchased a new stake in Union Pacific in the 2nd quarter worth approximately $28,000. Cultivar Capital Inc. purchased a new stake in shares of Union Pacific in the second quarter valued at $27,000. Catalyst Capital Advisors LLC acquired a new position in Union Pacific in the third quarter valued at $30,000. Jamison Private Wealth Management Inc. lifted its position in Union Pacific by 265.7% during the third quarter. Jamison Private Wealth Management Inc. now owns 128 shares of the railroad operator’s stock worth $32,000 after buying an additional 93 shares during the period. Finally, Fairscale Capital LLC acquired a new stake in Union Pacific in the 2nd quarter worth about $31,000. 80.38% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

A number of research analysts have recently commented on the stock. Benchmark reaffirmed a “buy” rating and set a $266.00 price objective on shares of Union Pacific in a research note on Friday, October 25th. Royal Bank of Canada cut their price target on shares of Union Pacific from $288.00 to $283.00 and set an “outperform” rating on the stock in a research note on Friday, October 25th. Barclays boosted their price objective on shares of Union Pacific from $275.00 to $285.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a research note on Wednesday, November 13th. BMO Capital Markets cut their target price on Union Pacific from $280.00 to $275.00 and set an “outperform” rating on the stock in a research report on Friday, September 20th. Finally, Raymond James boosted their price target on Union Pacific from $265.00 to $275.00 and gave the company a “strong-buy” rating in a research report on Monday, October 14th. Nine investment analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, eleven have assigned a buy rating and one has given a strong buy rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat, the stock currently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $259.80.

Union Pacific Stock Performance

Shares of UNP opened at $244.66 on Monday. The firm has a market cap of $148.33 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 22.47, a PEG ratio of 2.42 and a beta of 1.06. The company has a quick ratio of 0.63, a current ratio of 0.77 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.79. The business’s 50 day moving average is $240.12 and its two-hundred day moving average is $238.45. Union Pacific Co. has a 52-week low of $218.55 and a 52-week high of $258.66.

Union Pacific (NYSE:UNP) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, October 24th. The railroad operator reported $2.75 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $2.78 by ($0.03). The company had revenue of $6.09 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $6.14 billion. Union Pacific had a net margin of 27.33% and a return on equity of 41.79%. The company’s revenue was up 2.5% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period in the prior year, the company earned $2.51 earnings per share. Analysts forecast that Union Pacific Co. will post 10.94 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Union Pacific Dividend Announcement

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, December 30th. Investors of record on Monday, December 9th will be paid a $1.34 dividend. The ex-dividend date is Monday, December 9th. This represents a $5.36 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 2.19%. Union Pacific’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 49.22%.

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.