Logan Capital Management Inc. Lowers Stake in Union Pacific Co. (NYSE:UNP)

Logan Capital Management Inc. decreased its stake in shares of Union Pacific Co. (NYSE:UNP) by 5.4% in the third quarter, HoldingsChannel reports. The institutional investor owned 25,567 shares of the railroad operator’s stock after selling 1,462 shares during the period. Logan Capital Management Inc.’s holdings in Union Pacific were worth $6,302,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Several other large investors also recently added to or reduced their stakes in UNP. Pure Financial Advisors LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Union Pacific in the second quarter valued at approximately $558,000. Blue Trust Inc. lifted its holdings in shares of Union Pacific by 57.9% in the 2nd quarter. Blue Trust Inc. now owns 5,381 shares of the railroad operator’s stock worth $1,323,000 after buying an additional 1,973 shares during the period. Stanley Laman Group Ltd. grew its position in shares of Union Pacific by 5.8% during the 2nd quarter. Stanley Laman Group Ltd. now owns 15,828 shares of the railroad operator’s stock worth $3,581,000 after buying an additional 873 shares in the last quarter. Brookstone Capital Management raised its holdings in shares of Union Pacific by 29.3% in the second quarter. Brookstone Capital Management now owns 19,043 shares of the railroad operator’s stock valued at $4,644,000 after acquiring an additional 4,318 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Gradient Investments LLC lifted its stake in Union Pacific by 49.4% in the second quarter. Gradient Investments LLC now owns 399 shares of the railroad operator’s stock worth $90,000 after acquiring an additional 132 shares during the period. 80.38% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Union Pacific Stock Performance

UNP stock traded up $1.29 during midday trading on Friday, reaching $235.00. The stock had a trading volume of 305,646 shares, compared to its average volume of 2,332,406. The firm has a fifty day simple moving average of $238.46 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $238.27. Union Pacific Co. has a 52-week low of $218.55 and a 52-week high of $258.66. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.79, a quick ratio of 0.63 and a current ratio of 0.77. The stock has a market cap of $142.47 billion, a PE ratio of 21.46, a P/E/G ratio of 2.31 and a beta of 1.05.

Union Pacific (NYSE:UNP) last announced its quarterly earnings data 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). Union Pacific had a return on equity of 41.79% and a net margin of 27.33%. The firm had revenue of $6.09 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $6.14 billion. During the same quarter in the previous year, the business earned $2.51 earnings per share. The company’s revenue for the quarter was up 2.5% compared to the same quarter last year. As a group, equities research analysts anticipate that Union Pacific Co. will post 10.94 EPS for the current year.

Union Pacific Announces Dividend

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, December 30th. Investors of record on Monday, December 9th will be issued a dividend of $1.34 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Monday, December 9th. This represents a $5.36 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 2.28%. Union Pacific’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 49.22%.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

A number of research analysts have commented on the stock. Wells Fargo & Company cut their target price on shares of Union Pacific from $270.00 to $255.00 and set an “overweight” rating on the stock in a research report on Friday, October 25th. Raymond James boosted their price objective on shares of Union Pacific from $265.00 to $275.00 and gave the stock a “strong-buy” rating in a research note on Monday, October 14th. BMO Capital Markets dropped 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. StockNews.com lowered Union Pacific from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research report on Tuesday, October 1st. Finally, Benchmark restated a “buy” rating and set a $266.00 price objective on shares of Union Pacific in a research note on Friday, October 25th. Nine analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, eleven have issued a buy rating and one has given a strong buy rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $259.80.

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.