Commerce Bank Invests $140.90 Million in Union Pacific Corporation $UNP

Commerce Bank acquired a new position in Union Pacific Corporation (NYSE:UNP) during the 2nd quarter, Holdings Channel reports. The fund acquired 518,029 shares of the railroad operator’s stock, valued at approximately $140,904,000. Union Pacific makes up approximately 0.6% of Commerce Bank’s investment portfolio, making the stock its 28th biggest holding.

Other large investors have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Northwestern Mutual Wealth Management Co. purchased a new position in Union Pacific during the 2nd quarter valued at about $76,279,000. CFO4Life Group LLC acquired a new position in Union Pacific during the second quarter worth about $766,000. Martin & Co. Inc. TN purchased a new stake in shares of Union Pacific in the second quarter valued at about $1,224,000. WealthShield Partners LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Union Pacific in the second quarter valued at about $2,052,000. Finally, W1M Asset Management Ltd acquired a new stake in shares of Union Pacific in the second quarter valued at approximately $1,004,000. 80.38% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

UNP has been the subject of a number of recent research reports. Citigroup raised their price objective on shares of Union Pacific from $326.00 to $349.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research note on Friday, July 24th. The Goldman Sachs Group set a $317.00 target price on Union Pacific and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a research report on Thursday, July 23rd. Barclays reaffirmed an “overweight” rating and set a $350.00 price target (up from $315.00) on shares of Union Pacific in a research note on Friday, July 24th. Benchmark lifted their price objective on Union Pacific from $325.00 to $335.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research note on Friday, July 24th. Finally, Weiss Ratings upgraded shares of Union Pacific from a “buy (b-)” rating to a “buy (b)” rating in a report on Friday, July 24th. Two research analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, thirteen have given a Buy rating and six have given a Hold rating to the company. According to MarketBeat.com, the stock currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $320.89.

Union Pacific Price Performance

Shares of NYSE UNP opened at $307.97 on Friday. The company has a quick ratio of 0.82, a current ratio of 0.99 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.40. Union Pacific Corporation has a fifty-two week low of $210.84 and a fifty-two week high of $315.99. The business has a 50 day moving average price of $286.30 and a two-hundred day moving average price of $267.60. The firm has a market cap of $182.96 billion, a PE ratio of 24.94, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 3.14 and a beta of 0.96.

Union Pacific (NYSE:UNP) last announced its earnings results on Thursday, July 23rd. The railroad operator reported $3.41 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $3.26 by $0.15. The company had revenue of $6.86 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $6.72 billion. Union Pacific had a return on equity of 38.46% and a net margin of 28.85%.Union Pacific’s quarterly revenue was up 11.5% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period in the prior year, the company posted $3.03 EPS. Sell-side analysts expect that Union Pacific Corporation will post 12.93 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Union Pacific Increases Dividend

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, September 30th. Investors of record on Monday, August 31st will be paid a $1.42 dividend. This represents a $5.68 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 1.8%. This is a boost from Union Pacific’s previous quarterly dividend of $1.38. The ex-dividend date is Monday, August 31st. Union Pacific’s payout ratio is presently 44.70%.

Insider Transactions at Union Pacific

In related news, EVP Eric J. Gehringer sold 2,991 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction on Wednesday, June 3rd. The shares were sold at an average price of $263.96, for a total value of $789,504.36. Following the sale, the executive vice president directly owned 43,012 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $11,353,447.52. This represents a 6.50% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is accessible through this link. 0.22% of the stock is owned by corporate insiders.

Union Pacific Company 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.