Wedmont Private Capital Boosts Stake in Union Pacific Co. (NYSE:UNP)

Wedmont Private Capital grew its stake in shares of Union Pacific Co. (NYSE:UNP) by 23.9% during the 2nd quarter, HoldingsChannel.com reports. The institutional investor owned 4,281 shares of the railroad operator’s stock after buying an additional 827 shares during the period. Wedmont Private Capital’s holdings in Union Pacific were worth $986,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Other institutional investors and hedge funds have also recently made changes to their positions in the company. Norges Bank bought a new position in shares of Union Pacific during the 4th quarter valued at $1,832,127,000. Capital Research Global Investors grew its holdings in shares of Union Pacific by 23.1% during the 4th quarter. Capital Research Global Investors now owns 6,851,767 shares of the railroad operator’s stock valued at $1,682,931,000 after purchasing an additional 1,285,144 shares during the last quarter. Winslow Capital Management LLC bought a new position in shares of Union Pacific during the 4th quarter valued at $293,162,000. Capital World Investors grew its holdings in shares of Union Pacific by 35.3% during the 1st quarter. Capital World Investors now owns 4,118,477 shares of the railroad operator’s stock valued at $1,012,857,000 after purchasing an additional 1,073,625 shares during the last quarter. Finally, TD Asset Management Inc grew its holdings in Union Pacific by 115.3% in the 4th quarter. TD Asset Management Inc now owns 1,070,123 shares of the railroad operator’s stock worth $262,844,000 after acquiring an additional 573,072 shares during the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 80.38% of the company’s stock.

Insider Transactions at Union Pacific

In related news, President Elizabeth F. Whited sold 3,552 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction on Tuesday, July 30th. The stock was sold at an average price of $246.59, for a total transaction of $875,887.68. Following the sale, the president now owns 64,945 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $16,014,787.55. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available at this hyperlink. 0.28% of the stock is owned by corporate insiders.

Union Pacific Stock Performance

Shares of UNP traded up $0.21 during trading hours on Tuesday, reaching $236.96. 882,414 shares of the company’s stock traded hands, compared to its average volume of 2,284,316. Union Pacific Co. has a twelve month low of $199.33 and a twelve month high of $258.66. The firm has a market capitalization of $144.36 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 22.59, a P/E/G ratio of 2.10 and a beta of 1.06. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.89, a current ratio of 1.05 and a quick ratio of 0.86. The business’s fifty day simple moving average is $231.66 and its two-hundred day simple moving average is $239.09.

Union Pacific (NYSE:UNP) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, July 25th. The railroad operator reported $2.74 EPS for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $2.71 by $0.03. The company had revenue of $6.01 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $6.05 billion. Union Pacific had a return on equity of 42.62% and a net margin of 26.90%. The business’s revenue was up .7% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter in the previous year, the firm earned $2.57 earnings per share. Analysts predict that Union Pacific Co. will post 11.12 earnings per share for the current year.

Union Pacific Increases Dividend

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, September 30th. Investors of record on Friday, August 30th will be given a dividend of $1.34 per share. The ex-dividend date is Friday, August 30th. This is a boost from Union Pacific’s previous quarterly dividend of $1.30. This represents a $5.36 annualized dividend and a yield of 2.26%. Union Pacific’s dividend payout ratio is 49.62%.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

UNP has been the topic of a number of recent analyst reports. Stifel Nicolaus cut their price target on shares of Union Pacific from $267.00 to $265.00 and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a report on Wednesday, July 17th. Wells Fargo & Company began coverage on shares of Union Pacific in a research note on Friday, June 7th. They issued an “overweight” rating and a $270.00 price target for the company. Morgan Stanley upped their price target on shares of Union Pacific from $198.00 to $210.00 and gave the stock an “equal weight” rating in a research report on Friday, April 26th. Loop Capital downgraded shares of Union Pacific from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating and lowered their target price for the stock from $276.00 to $238.00 in a report on Monday, June 17th. Finally, Raymond James reaffirmed a “strong-buy” rating and set a $280.00 price target (up previously from $275.00) on shares of Union Pacific in a research note on Friday, April 26th. Seven analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, twelve have assigned a buy rating and one has assigned a strong buy rating to the company’s stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the stock has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $258.79.

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.