Liberty Wealth Management LLC Acquires 6,484 Shares of Union Pacific Co. (NYSE:UNP)

Liberty Wealth Management LLC raised its stake in shares of Union Pacific Co. (NYSE:UNP) by 455.0% during the 2nd quarter, according to the company in its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The institutional investor owned 7,909 shares of the railroad operator’s stock after buying an additional 6,484 shares during the period. Liberty Wealth Management LLC’s holdings in Union Pacific were worth $1,789,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

A number of other institutional investors and hedge funds also recently made changes to their positions in the stock. Norges Bank bought a new stake in Union Pacific during the fourth quarter worth approximately $1,832,127,000. Capital Research Global Investors boosted its holdings in Union Pacific by 23.1% during the fourth quarter. Capital Research Global Investors now owns 6,851,767 shares of the railroad operator’s stock valued at $1,682,931,000 after acquiring an additional 1,285,144 shares during the period. Winslow Capital Management LLC acquired a new position in shares of Union Pacific during the 4th quarter worth about $293,162,000. Capital World Investors grew its holdings in Union Pacific by 35.3% in 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 buying an additional 1,073,625 shares during the last quarter. Finally, TD Asset Management Inc increased its position in Union Pacific by 115.3% during the fourth 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 period. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 80.38% of the company’s stock.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

Several analysts have issued reports on the stock. Loop Capital lowered shares of Union Pacific from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating and decreased their price target for the stock from $276.00 to $238.00 in a research report on Monday, June 17th. Wells Fargo & Company started coverage on Union Pacific in a research report on Friday, June 7th. They set an “overweight” rating and a $270.00 target price on the stock. Royal Bank of Canada cut their price target on Union Pacific from $281.00 to $275.00 and set an “outperform” rating for the company in a report on Friday, July 26th. Benchmark reiterated a “buy” rating and issued a $266.00 price objective on shares of Union Pacific in a research report on Monday, July 29th. Finally, Susquehanna lowered their price objective on Union Pacific from $270.00 to $250.00 and set a “neutral” rating on the stock in a research report on Tuesday, June 25th. Eight analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, twelve have given a buy rating and one has assigned a strong buy rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat.com, Union Pacific currently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $258.79.

Union Pacific Stock Performance

Shares of Union Pacific stock opened at $251.11 on Tuesday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.89, a current ratio of 1.05 and a quick ratio of 0.86. Union Pacific Co. has a fifty-two week low of $199.33 and a fifty-two week high of $258.66. The firm has a market cap of $152.98 billion, a P/E ratio of 23.96, a P/E/G ratio of 2.21 and a beta of 1.05. The firm has a 50 day simple moving average of $241.08 and a 200 day simple moving average of $239.22.

Union Pacific (NYSE:UNP) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, July 25th. The railroad operator reported $2.74 earnings per share for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $2.71 by $0.03. The firm had revenue of $6.01 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $6.05 billion. Union Pacific had a return on equity of 42.62% and a net margin of 26.90%. The company’s quarterly revenue was up .7% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period in the previous year, the business posted $2.57 EPS. Sell-side analysts predict that Union Pacific Co. will post 11.11 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Union Pacific Increases Dividend

The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, September 30th. Shareholders of record on Friday, August 30th will be paid a $1.34 dividend. 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 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 2.13%. Union Pacific’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 51.15%.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other 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 value of $875,887.68. Following the transaction, the president now directly owns 64,945 shares in the company, valued at approximately $16,014,787.55. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through the SEC website. Company insiders own 0.28% of the company’s stock.

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.