AQR Capital Management LLC Buys 59,418 Shares of Union Pacific Co. (NYSE:UNP)

AQR Capital Management LLC increased its stake in shares of Union Pacific Co. (NYSE:UNP) by 49.3% in the second quarter, Holdings Channel.com reports. The fund owned 179,962 shares of the railroad operator’s stock after purchasing an additional 59,418 shares during the period. AQR Capital Management LLC’s holdings in Union Pacific were worth $40,653,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Several other institutional investors also recently bought and sold shares of the stock. OLD Point Trust & Financial Services N A bought a new position in Union Pacific during the fourth quarter valued at $25,000. Richardson Capital Management LLC bought a new position in shares of Union Pacific in the 1st quarter valued at about $26,000. Raleigh Capital Management Inc. grew its position in Union Pacific by 211.4% in the fourth 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. bought a new stake in Union Pacific during the second quarter worth approximately $27,000. Finally, Scarborough Advisors LLC purchased a new stake in Union Pacific during the fourth quarter valued at approximately $29,000. 80.38% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Insider Buying and Selling

In other Union Pacific news, President Elizabeth F. Whited sold 3,552 shares of Union Pacific 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 transaction, the president now directly owns 64,945 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $16,014,787.55. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through the SEC website. 0.28% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

UNP has been the subject of a number of recent research reports. Barclays dropped their target price on Union Pacific from $290.00 to $280.00 and set an “overweight” rating for the company in a report on Friday, July 26th. Sanford C. Bernstein cut their price objective on shares of Union Pacific from $290.00 to $273.00 and set an “outperform” rating on the stock in a research report on Monday, July 8th. BMO Capital Markets lowered their target price on shares of Union Pacific from $280.00 to $275.00 and set an “outperform” rating for the company in a report on Friday, September 20th. Bank of America cut their price target on shares of Union Pacific from $273.00 to $270.00 and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a report on Tuesday, September 24th. Finally, Stifel Nicolaus decreased their price objective on shares of Union Pacific from $267.00 to $265.00 and set a “buy” rating for the company in a research note on Wednesday, July 17th. Seven analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, twelve have given a buy rating and one has issued a strong buy rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $258.11.

Union Pacific Stock Performance

Shares of NYSE:UNP opened at $244.22 on Friday. The company has a quick ratio of 0.86, a current ratio of 1.05 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.89. The company has a market capitalization of $148.78 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 23.30, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.26 and a beta of 1.05. The firm has a 50 day moving average of $245.80 and a 200 day moving average of $238.89. Union Pacific Co. has a 52 week low of $199.33 and a 52 week high of $258.66.

Union Pacific (NYSE:UNP) last issued its quarterly earnings data 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 return on equity of 42.62% and a net margin of 26.90%. The firm had revenue of $6.01 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $6.05 billion. During the same period in the prior year, the business posted $2.57 EPS. The firm’s quarterly revenue was up .7% on a year-over-year basis. On average, sell-side analysts predict that Union Pacific Co. will post 11.11 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Union Pacific Increases Dividend

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, September 30th. Stockholders of record on Friday, August 30th will be given a $1.34 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, August 30th. This represents a $5.36 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 2.19%. This is an increase from Union Pacific’s previous quarterly dividend of $1.30. Union Pacific’s payout ratio is presently 51.15%.

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.