Healthcare of Ontario Pension Plan Trust Fund Trims Stock Holdings in Union Pacific Co. (NYSE:UNP)

Healthcare of Ontario Pension Plan Trust Fund decreased its position in Union Pacific Co. (NYSE:UNP) by 12.2% in the third quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The fund owned 135,669 shares of the railroad operator’s stock after selling 18,874 shares during the period. Healthcare of Ontario Pension Plan Trust Fund’s holdings in Union Pacific were worth $33,440,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC).

A number of other hedge funds and other institutional investors also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Glenmede Trust Co. NA grew its position in Union Pacific by 0.5% during the 3rd quarter. Glenmede Trust Co. NA now owns 376,303 shares of the railroad operator’s stock worth $92,751,000 after purchasing an additional 1,844 shares during the period. Cynosure Group LLC grew its position in Union Pacific by 90.7% during the 3rd quarter. Cynosure Group LLC now owns 64,262 shares of the railroad operator’s stock worth $15,839,000 after purchasing an additional 30,560 shares during the period. Hardy Reed LLC grew its position in Union Pacific by 1.9% during the 3rd quarter. Hardy Reed LLC now owns 6,334 shares of the railroad operator’s stock worth $1,561,000 after purchasing an additional 117 shares during the period. Townsquare Capital LLC grew its position in Union Pacific by 19.7% during the 3rd quarter. Townsquare Capital LLC now owns 23,660 shares of the railroad operator’s stock worth $5,832,000 after purchasing an additional 3,889 shares during the period. Finally, Avestar Capital LLC grew its position in Union Pacific by 9.9% during the 3rd quarter. Avestar Capital LLC now owns 3,101 shares of the railroad operator’s stock worth $764,000 after purchasing an additional 280 shares during the period. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 80.38% of the company’s stock.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

Several brokerages have weighed in on UNP. Stifel Nicolaus cut their price target on Union Pacific from $265.00 to $262.00 and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a research report on Friday, October 25th. Evercore ISI downgraded Union Pacific from an “outperform” rating to an “inline” rating and cut their price target for the stock from $254.00 to $247.00 in a research report on Wednesday, September 25th. Wells Fargo & Company dropped their target price on Union Pacific from $270.00 to $255.00 and set an “overweight” rating on the stock in a research report on Friday, October 25th. Royal Bank of Canada dropped their target price on Union Pacific from $288.00 to $283.00 and set an “outperform” rating on the stock in a research report on Friday, October 25th. Finally, 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. Nine analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, eleven have assigned a buy rating and one has given a strong buy rating to the company. According to MarketBeat, Union Pacific has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $259.80.

Union Pacific Stock Performance

NYSE:UNP opened at $245.23 on Thursday. The company has a fifty day simple moving average of $240.19 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $238.51. The company has a market cap of $148.67 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 22.52, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.47 and a beta of 1.06. The company has a quick ratio of 0.63, a current ratio of 0.77 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.79. Union Pacific Co. has a 52 week low of $218.55 and a 52 week high of $258.66.

Union Pacific (NYSE:UNP) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, October 24th. The railroad operator reported $2.75 EPS for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $2.78 by ($0.03). The business had revenue of $6.09 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $6.14 billion. Union Pacific had a return on equity of 41.79% and a net margin of 27.33%. The business’s revenue was up 2.5% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter last year, the firm earned $2.51 EPS. As a group, equities analysts anticipate that Union Pacific Co. will post 10.94 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Union Pacific Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, December 30th. Shareholders of record on Monday, December 9th will be paid a $1.34 dividend. This represents a $5.36 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 2.19%. Union Pacific’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 49.22%.

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.