Union Pacific Co. (NYSE:UNP) Shares Bought by Empirical Finance LLC

Empirical Finance LLC raised its position in Union Pacific Co. (NYSE:UNP) by 2.0% during the 3rd quarter, according to its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The fund owned 21,408 shares of the railroad operator’s stock after purchasing an additional 414 shares during the quarter. Empirical Finance LLC’s holdings in Union Pacific were worth $5,277,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Several other hedge funds and other institutional investors also recently added to or reduced their stakes in UNP. Marshall Wace LLP raised its holdings in shares of Union Pacific by 272.3% in the 2nd quarter. Marshall Wace LLP now owns 1,678,108 shares of the railroad operator’s stock valued at $379,689,000 after buying an additional 1,227,318 shares during the period. Capital World Investors grew its position in 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 acquiring an additional 1,073,625 shares in the last quarter. International Assets Investment Management LLC increased its stake in Union Pacific by 19,878.6% during the third quarter. International Assets Investment Management LLC now owns 896,040 shares of the railroad operator’s stock worth $220,856,000 after purchasing an additional 891,555 shares during the period. Impax Asset Management Group plc lifted its position in shares of Union Pacific by 2,025.4% during the third quarter. Impax Asset Management Group plc now owns 546,236 shares of the railroad operator’s stock worth $134,636,000 after purchasing an additional 520,536 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Capital Research Global Investors boosted its stake in shares of Union Pacific by 7.6% in the first quarter. Capital Research Global Investors now owns 7,370,752 shares of the railroad operator’s stock valued at $1,812,689,000 after purchasing an additional 518,985 shares during the period. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 80.38% of the company’s stock.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

UNP has been the subject of a number of recent research reports. Robert W. Baird reduced their price objective on shares of Union Pacific from $270.00 to $260.00 and set an “outperform” rating on the stock in a report on Friday, October 25th. Susquehanna reduced their price objective on shares of Union Pacific from $260.00 to $255.00 and set a “neutral” rating for the company in a research report on Friday, October 25th. Raymond James increased their target price 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. Stifel Nicolaus reduced their price target on shares of Union Pacific from $265.00 to $262.00 and set a “buy” rating for the company in a research report on Friday, October 25th. Finally, Royal Bank of Canada dropped their price objective on Union Pacific from $288.00 to $283.00 and set an “outperform” rating on the stock in a report on Friday, October 25th. Nine research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, eleven have issued a buy rating and one has assigned a strong buy rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the stock has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $259.80.

Union Pacific Price Performance

Union Pacific stock opened at $235.58 on Friday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.79, a quick ratio of 0.63 and a current ratio of 0.77. Union Pacific Co. has a one year low of $215.81 and a one year high of $258.66. The company has a market cap of $142.82 billion, a P/E ratio of 21.63, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.38 and a beta of 1.06. The business has a fifty day moving average of $242.46 and a two-hundred day moving average of $238.64.

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