Conning Inc. Cuts Holdings in Union Pacific Co. (NYSE:UNP)

Conning Inc. lowered its stake in shares of Union Pacific Co. (NYSE:UNP) by 11.7% in the fourth quarter, according to the company in its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The firm owned 145,511 shares of the railroad operator’s stock after selling 19,205 shares during the period. Union Pacific accounts for about 1.2% of Conning Inc.’s investment portfolio, making the stock its 21st biggest holding. Conning Inc.’s holdings in Union Pacific were worth $35,669,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission.

Other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also bought and sold shares of the company. BluePath Capital Management LLC purchased a new position in Union Pacific in the third quarter valued at about $25,000. Valued Wealth Advisors LLC purchased a new position in shares of Union Pacific in the 4th quarter worth approximately $28,000. Coppell Advisory Solutions Corp. purchased a new stake in Union Pacific during the fourth quarter valued at approximately $32,000. Tyler Stone Wealth Management acquired a new stake in Union Pacific in the second quarter valued at approximately $33,000. Finally, IMA Wealth Inc. purchased a new position in Union Pacific in the second quarter worth $37,000. Institutional investors own 80.38% of the company’s stock.

Union Pacific Price Performance

Union Pacific stock traded down $1.76 during trading on Friday, reaching $234.40. The company had a trading volume of 2,594,970 shares, compared to its average volume of 2,168,043. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 2.11, a quick ratio of 0.67 and a current ratio of 0.81. The firm’s 50-day simple moving average is $247.04 and its 200 day simple moving average is $232.96. The firm has a market capitalization of $143.01 billion, a PE ratio of 22.41, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.54 and a beta of 1.07. Union Pacific Co. has a 1-year low of $190.37 and a 1-year high of $258.66.

Union Pacific (NYSE:UNP) last released its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, January 25th. The railroad operator reported $2.71 earnings per share for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $2.56 by $0.15. The firm had revenue of $6.16 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $6.05 billion. Union Pacific had a net margin of 26.45% and a return on equity of 46.87%. The company’s revenue for the quarter was down .3% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter in the prior year, the firm earned $2.67 EPS. As a group, equities research analysts anticipate that Union Pacific Co. will post 11 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Union Pacific Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, March 29th. Stockholders of record on Thursday, February 29th were issued a dividend of $1.30 per share. This represents a $5.20 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 2.22%. The ex-dividend date was Wednesday, February 28th. Union Pacific’s payout ratio is 49.71%.

Insider Buying and Selling

In related news, President Elizabeth F. Whited sold 3,750 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, February 15th. The stock was sold at an average price of $250.00, for a total value of $937,500.00. Following the completion of the sale, the president now owns 56,682 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $14,170,500. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available through the SEC website. 0.28% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

Several analysts have recently commented on UNP shares. Jefferies Financial Group assumed coverage on Union Pacific in a report on Monday, April 8th. They set a “hold” rating and a $250.00 price objective for the company. Sanford C. Bernstein upgraded Union Pacific from a “market perform” rating to an “outperform” rating and set a $280.00 price target on the stock in a research note on Monday, January 22nd. Benchmark boosted their price target on Union Pacific from $260.00 to $266.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research note on Wednesday. Raymond James raised their price objective on Union Pacific from $240.00 to $275.00 and gave the stock a “strong-buy” rating in a research note on Tuesday, January 16th. Finally, StockNews.com lowered Union Pacific from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research report on Monday, March 18th. Eight analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, thirteen have assigned a buy rating and one has given a strong buy rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $253.48.

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.