Lighthouse Investment Partners LLC Sells 10,545 Shares of Union Pacific Corporation $UNP

Lighthouse Investment Partners LLC lowered its position in shares of Union Pacific Corporation (NYSE:UNP) by 34.4% during the 3rd quarter, HoldingsChannel.com reports. The institutional investor owned 20,118 shares of the railroad operator’s stock after selling 10,545 shares during the period. Lighthouse Investment Partners LLC’s holdings in Union Pacific were worth $4,755,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Several other institutional investors and hedge funds have also recently made changes to their positions in UNP. Union Bancaire Privee UBP SA lifted its holdings in Union Pacific by 9.8% during the third quarter. Union Bancaire Privee UBP SA now owns 52,849 shares of the railroad operator’s stock worth $12,492,000 after buying an additional 4,707 shares during the period. Midwest Trust Co increased its holdings in shares of Union Pacific by 2.8% in the 3rd quarter. Midwest Trust Co now owns 281,036 shares of the railroad operator’s stock valued at $66,428,000 after acquiring an additional 7,759 shares during the period. CX Institutional raised its position in shares of Union Pacific by 39.8% in the 3rd quarter. CX Institutional now owns 65,826 shares of the railroad operator’s stock worth $15,559,000 after acquiring an additional 18,742 shares in the last quarter. Thrivent Financial for Lutherans raised its position in shares of Union Pacific by 15.1% in the 3rd quarter. Thrivent Financial for Lutherans now owns 135,188 shares of the railroad operator’s stock worth $31,955,000 after acquiring an additional 17,696 shares in the last quarter. Finally, AustralianSuper Pty Ltd purchased a new stake in shares of Union Pacific during the 3rd quarter worth $802,000. 80.38% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

Union Pacific Stock Performance

Shares of UNP opened at $242.27 on Tuesday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.64, a quick ratio of 0.75 and a current ratio of 0.91. The stock has a 50-day moving average of $246.68 and a two-hundred day moving average of $234.04. The stock has a market cap of $143.76 billion, a P/E ratio of 20.24, a P/E/G ratio of 2.65 and a beta of 0.95. Union Pacific Corporation has a one year low of $204.66 and a one year high of $268.14.

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

Union Pacific Announces Dividend

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

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

A number of brokerages recently weighed in on UNP. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft set a $245.00 price objective on Union Pacific in a research report on Thursday, December 11th. Raymond James Financial reissued a “strong-buy” rating on shares of Union Pacific in a research report on Tuesday, January 27th. Robert W. Baird set a $311.00 price target on shares of Union Pacific and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a report on Friday, March 6th. Royal Bank Of Canada set a $280.00 price objective on shares of Union Pacific in a research report on Thursday, December 18th. Finally, TD Cowen reduced their price objective on shares of Union Pacific from $257.00 to $255.00 and set a “buy” rating for the company in a research note on Wednesday, January 28th. One analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, fourteen have assigned a Buy rating and nine have issued a Hold rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat.com, Union Pacific currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $263.77.

About Union Pacific

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.