Ameriprise Financial Inc. Acquires 106,996 Shares of Union Pacific Co. (NYSE:UNP)

Ameriprise Financial Inc. boosted its holdings in shares of Union Pacific Co. (NYSE:UNP) by 1.3% during the 2nd quarter, according to the company in its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The firm owned 8,312,154 shares of the railroad operator’s stock after buying an additional 106,996 shares during the quarter. Ameriprise Financial Inc.’s holdings in Union Pacific were worth $1,880,701,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

A number of other large investors also recently bought and sold shares of UNP. Capital Research Global Investors increased its holdings in shares of 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 valued at $1,812,689,000 after acquiring an additional 518,985 shares during the period. Fisher Asset Management LLC boosted its position in 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 in the last quarter. Clearbridge Investments LLC grew its stake in Union Pacific by 5.7% in 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 last quarter. Canada Pension Plan Investment Board raised its holdings in Union Pacific by 8.3% in the second quarter. Canada Pension Plan Investment Board now owns 4,218,730 shares of the railroad operator’s stock worth $954,530,000 after purchasing an additional 322,129 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Capital World Investors lifted its position in shares of Union Pacific by 35.3% during the first 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 last quarter. Institutional investors own 80.38% of the company’s stock.

Union Pacific Trading Down 1.4 %

Shares of Union Pacific stock opened at $245.56 on Thursday. The stock has a market cap of $149.82 billion, a PE ratio of 23.43, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.22 and a beta of 1.05. The firm has a fifty day moving average price of $245.73 and a 200 day moving average price of $238.94. Union Pacific Co. has a 1 year low of $199.33 and a 1 year high of $258.66. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.89, a current ratio of 1.05 and a quick ratio of 0.86.

Union Pacific (NYSE:UNP) last released its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, July 25th. The railroad operator reported $2.74 earnings per share for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $2.71 by $0.03. Union Pacific had a return on equity of 42.62% and a net margin of 26.90%. The business had revenue of $6.01 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $6.05 billion. During the same quarter last year, the business posted $2.57 EPS. The company’s revenue was up .7% on a year-over-year basis. Equities research analysts predict that Union Pacific Co. will post 11.11 earnings per share for the current year.

Union Pacific Increases Dividend

The business 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 $1.34 dividend. The ex-dividend date is Friday, August 30th. This is an increase from Union Pacific’s previous quarterly dividend of $1.30. This represents a $5.36 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 2.18%. Union Pacific’s payout ratio is presently 51.15%.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In related news, President Elizabeth F. Whited sold 3,552 shares of the business’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 in the company, valued at approximately $16,014,787.55. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is accessible through the SEC website. Insiders own 0.28% of the company’s stock.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of brokerages have recently issued reports on UNP. Loop Capital downgraded shares of Union Pacific from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating and cut their price objective for the stock from $276.00 to $238.00 in a research report on Monday, June 17th. Stifel Nicolaus reduced their price target on Union Pacific from $267.00 to $265.00 and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a research report on Wednesday, July 17th. StockNews.com upgraded Union Pacific from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a report on Monday. Sanford C. Bernstein reduced their target price on Union Pacific from $290.00 to $273.00 and set an “outperform” rating on the stock in a research report on Monday, July 8th. Finally, Daiwa America cut Union Pacific from a “moderate buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note on Wednesday, September 4th. Seven analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, twelve have assigned a buy rating and one has issued a strong buy rating to the company. According to MarketBeat.com, the stock has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $258.11.

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.