ING Groep NV Sells 61,351 Shares of Union Pacific Corporation $UNP

ING Groep NV reduced its position in shares of Union Pacific Corporation (NYSE:UNP) by 34.8% during the third quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the SEC. The firm owned 115,067 shares of the railroad operator’s stock after selling 61,351 shares during the quarter. ING Groep NV’s holdings in Union Pacific were worth $27,198,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Other hedge funds have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Howard Hughes Medical Institute bought a new stake in shares of Union Pacific during the second quarter worth about $30,000. Financial Gravity Companies Inc. bought a new stake in Union Pacific during the 2nd quarter worth approximately $31,000. Total Investment Management Inc. bought a new stake in Union Pacific during the 2nd quarter worth approximately $31,000. Access Investment Management LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Union Pacific in the second quarter worth approximately $32,000. Finally, Sagard Holdings Management Inc. bought a new position in shares of Union Pacific in the second quarter valued at approximately $33,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 80.38% of the company’s stock.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

A number of research firms have issued reports on UNP. BMO Capital Markets set a $255.00 price objective on shares of Union Pacific in a report on Wednesday, January 7th. Citigroup restated a “buy” rating and set a $270.00 price target (up from $265.00) on shares of Union Pacific in a report on Wednesday, January 28th. Weiss Ratings upgraded shares of Union Pacific from a “hold (c+)” rating to a “buy (b-)” rating in a research note on Friday. Susquehanna reissued a “buy” rating on shares of Union Pacific in a research report on Monday, January 19th. Finally, Royal Bank Of Canada set a $280.00 target price on Union Pacific in a research note on Thursday, December 18th. One analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, thirteen have issued a Buy rating and ten have given a Hold rating to the company. According to MarketBeat.com, the stock has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $258.32.

Union Pacific Stock Performance

Shares of UNP stock opened at $261.47 on Wednesday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.64, a quick ratio of 0.60 and a current ratio of 0.91. The firm has a market cap of $155.15 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 21.84, a P/E/G ratio of 2.77 and a beta of 0.98. Union Pacific Corporation has a 52 week low of $204.66 and a 52 week high of $261.55. The firm’s 50-day simple moving average is $234.90 and its two-hundred day simple moving average is $227.90.

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

Union Pacific Announces Dividend

The company also recently disclosed 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. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, February 27th. This represents a $5.52 annualized dividend and a yield of 2.1%. Union Pacific’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 46.12%.

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.