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

CCLA Investment Management raised its holdings in Union Pacific Co. (NYSE:UNP) by 14.0% during the 2nd quarter, HoldingsChannel.com reports. The fund owned 346,636 shares of the railroad operator’s stock after buying an additional 42,561 shares during the period. CCLA Investment Management’s holdings in Union Pacific were worth $77,525,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

A number of other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also bought and sold shares of UNP. OLD Point Trust & Financial Services N A bought a new position in shares of Union Pacific in the fourth quarter worth about $25,000. Richardson Capital Management LLC purchased a new stake in Union Pacific in the 1st quarter valued at about $26,000. Raleigh Capital Management Inc. grew its stake in Union Pacific by 211.4% in the 4th quarter. Raleigh Capital Management Inc. now owns 109 shares of the railroad operator’s stock worth $27,000 after acquiring an additional 74 shares in the last quarter. Cultivar Capital Inc. purchased a new position in shares of Union Pacific during the second quarter worth approximately $27,000. Finally, Scarborough Advisors LLC bought a new stake in shares of Union Pacific during the fourth quarter valued at approximately $29,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 80.38% of the company’s stock.

Insider Buying and Selling

In other Union Pacific news, President Elizabeth F. Whited sold 3,552 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, July 30th. The stock was sold at an average price of $246.59, for a total transaction of $875,887.68. Following the sale, the president now owns 64,945 shares in the company, valued at approximately $16,014,787.55. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which can be accessed through the SEC website. 0.28% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders.

Union Pacific Price Performance

Shares of NYSE UNP opened at $253.55 on Wednesday. Union Pacific Co. has a fifty-two week low of $199.33 and a fifty-two week high of $258.66. The company has a market cap of $154.70 billion, a PE ratio of 24.19, a P/E/G ratio of 2.20 and a beta of 1.05. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.89, a quick ratio of 0.86 and a current ratio of 1.05. The business has a 50-day simple moving average of $244.22 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $239.08.

Union Pacific (NYSE:UNP) last released its earnings results on Thursday, July 25th. The railroad operator reported $2.74 EPS 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 company had revenue of $6.01 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $6.05 billion. During the same period last year, the business earned $2.57 EPS. Union Pacific’s revenue for the quarter was up .7% on a year-over-year basis. As a group, equities analysts expect that Union Pacific Co. will post 11.11 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Union Pacific Increases Dividend

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, September 30th. Stockholders of record on Friday, August 30th will be issued a dividend of $1.34 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, August 30th. This is a positive change from Union Pacific’s previous quarterly dividend of $1.30. This represents a $5.36 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 2.11%. Union Pacific’s payout ratio is 51.15%.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several research analysts recently issued reports on the company. Susquehanna dropped their price objective on Union Pacific from $270.00 to $250.00 and set a “neutral” rating on the stock in a research note on Tuesday, June 25th. Benchmark restated a “buy” rating and set a $266.00 price target on shares of Union Pacific in a research note on Monday, July 29th. Barclays decreased their price objective on Union Pacific from $290.00 to $280.00 and set an “overweight” rating for the company in a report on Friday, July 26th. Stifel Nicolaus dropped their target price on shares of Union Pacific from $267.00 to $265.00 and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a report on Wednesday, July 17th. Finally, StockNews.com lowered shares of Union Pacific from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a report on Tuesday, June 18th. Eight research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, twelve have issued a buy rating and one has issued a strong buy rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat, the company has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $258.79.

Union Pacific Company 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.