Distillate Capital Partners LLC Takes $24.57 Million Position in Union Pacific Corporation $UNP

Distillate Capital Partners LLC acquired a new stake in Union Pacific Corporation (NYSE:UNP) in the third quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the SEC. The institutional investor acquired 103,949 shares of the railroad operator’s stock, valued at approximately $24,573,000. Union Pacific makes up approximately 1.3% of Distillate Capital Partners LLC’s holdings, making the stock its 20th largest position.

Several other hedge funds have also added to or reduced their stakes in UNP. Caitlin John LLC bought a new position in Union Pacific during the third quarter worth about $27,000. Howard Hughes Medical Institute bought a new stake in shares of Union Pacific in the second quarter worth about $30,000. Financial Gravity Companies Inc. acquired a new stake in shares of Union Pacific during the second quarter worth about $31,000. Total Investment Management Inc. acquired a new stake in shares of Union Pacific during the second quarter worth about $31,000. Finally, Sagard Holdings Management Inc. bought a new position in shares of Union Pacific during the 2nd quarter valued at about $33,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 80.38% of the company’s stock.

Union Pacific Trading Down 0.8%

NYSE:UNP opened at $242.22 on Monday. The company has a market cap of $143.73 billion, a P/E ratio of 20.24, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.65 and a beta of 0.95. Union Pacific Corporation has a twelve month low of $204.66 and a twelve month high of $268.14. The business has a 50 day moving average price of $246.47 and a two-hundred day moving average price of $233.90. The company has a quick ratio of 0.75, a current ratio of 0.91 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.64.

Union Pacific (NYSE:UNP) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, January 27th. The railroad operator reported $2.86 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing analysts’ consensus estimates of $2.92 by ($0.06). The business had revenue of $6.09 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $6.15 billion. Union Pacific had a net margin of 29.12% and a return on equity of 40.89%. Union Pacific’s revenue for the quarter was down .6% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter last year, the business earned $2.91 earnings per share. As a group, analysts expect that Union Pacific Corporation will post 11.99 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Union Pacific Announces Dividend

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, March 31st. Investors of record on Friday, February 27th will be given a $1.38 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, February 27th. This represents a $5.52 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 2.3%. Union Pacific’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 46.12%.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

A number of research firms recently issued reports on UNP. JPMorgan Chase & Co. lowered their target price on Union Pacific from $270.00 to $265.00 and set a “neutral” rating for the company in a research note on Wednesday, January 28th. The Goldman Sachs Group reaffirmed a “neutral” rating and issued a $267.00 price target on shares of Union Pacific in a research note on Tuesday, January 27th. BMO Capital Markets reissued a “market perform” rating and set a $295.00 price objective on shares of Union Pacific in a research report on Thursday, February 19th. Barclays restated an “overweight” rating and set a $285.00 price objective (up from $270.00) on shares of Union Pacific in a report on Tuesday, December 16th. Finally, Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft set a $245.00 target price on shares of Union Pacific in a research note on Thursday, December 11th. One research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, fourteen have given a Buy rating and nine have issued a Hold rating to the company. According to MarketBeat, the company currently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $263.77.

Union Pacific Profile

Union Pacific Corporation (NYSE: UNP) is one of the largest freight railroad companies in the United States. Its principal operating subsidiary, Union Pacific Railroad, has roots that trace back to the Pacific Railway Act of 1862 and the construction of the first transcontinental rail link completed in 1869. The company is headquartered in Omaha, Nebraska, and operates as a holding company for rail transportation and related services.

Union Pacific’s core business is the movement of freight by rail across an extensive rail network serving the western two‑thirds of the United States.