Moloney Securities Asset Management LLC Grows Position in Union Pacific Co. (NYSE:UNP)

Moloney Securities Asset Management LLC raised its stake in shares of Union Pacific Co. (NYSE:UNP) by 10.0% during the 3rd quarter, Holdings Channel.com reports. The fund owned 8,455 shares of the railroad operator’s stock after acquiring an additional 766 shares during the period. Moloney Securities Asset Management LLC’s holdings in Union Pacific were worth $2,084,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

A number of other hedge funds have also recently bought and sold shares of UNP. Catalyst Capital Advisors LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Union Pacific during the 3rd quarter valued at $30,000. Impax Asset Management Group plc grew its position in Union Pacific by 2,025.4% during the third quarter. Impax Asset Management Group plc now owns 546,236 shares of the railroad operator’s stock valued at $134,636,000 after buying an additional 520,536 shares during the period. Quintet Private Bank Europe S.A. increased its holdings in Union Pacific by 7.8% during the third quarter. Quintet Private Bank Europe S.A. now owns 15,201 shares of the railroad operator’s stock worth $3,747,000 after buying an additional 1,099 shares during the last quarter. PDS Planning Inc raised its position in Union Pacific by 2.8% in the third quarter. PDS Planning Inc now owns 3,415 shares of the railroad operator’s stock worth $842,000 after acquiring an additional 94 shares during the period. Finally, QRG Capital Management Inc. boosted its stake in Union Pacific by 3.7% in the third quarter. QRG Capital Management Inc. now owns 92,431 shares of the railroad operator’s stock valued at $22,782,000 after acquiring an additional 3,332 shares during the last quarter. 80.38% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Union Pacific Trading Down 1.2 %

UNP stock opened at $229.91 on Tuesday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.79, a quick ratio of 0.63 and a current ratio of 0.77. The company has a market capitalization of $139.39 billion, a PE ratio of 21.11, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.30 and a beta of 1.06. The company’s 50 day moving average price is $244.29 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $238.45. Union Pacific Co. has a one year low of $208.14 and a one year 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 analysts’ consensus estimates of $2.78 by ($0.03). Union Pacific had a net margin of 27.33% and a return on equity of 41.79%. The firm had revenue of $6.09 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $6.14 billion. During the same quarter in the prior year, the company earned $2.51 earnings per share. The company’s quarterly revenue was up 2.5% compared to the same quarter last year. As a group, analysts predict that Union Pacific Co. will post 10.97 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Analyst Ratings Changes

Several equities analysts have weighed in on UNP shares. Barclays reduced their price objective on Union Pacific from $280.00 to $275.00 and set an “overweight” rating for the company in a report on Friday, October 25th. Bank of America lowered their price objective on Union Pacific from $273.00 to $270.00 and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a research note on Tuesday, September 24th. Wells Fargo & Company cut their target price on shares of Union Pacific from $270.00 to $255.00 and set an “overweight” rating for the company in a research report on Friday, October 25th. Daiwa America lowered shares of Union Pacific from a “moderate buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research report on Wednesday, September 4th. Finally, Benchmark reaffirmed a “buy” rating and issued a $266.00 price objective on shares of Union Pacific in a report on Friday, October 25th. Nine analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, eleven have given a buy rating and one has given a strong buy rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat.com, Union Pacific presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $259.15.

Union Pacific Profile

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.