Patrick M Sweeney & Associates Inc. Takes Position in Union Pacific Co. (NYSE:UNP)

Patrick M Sweeney & Associates Inc. purchased a new position in Union Pacific Co. (NYSE:UNP) in the fourth quarter, HoldingsChannel reports. The fund purchased 4,884 shares of the railroad operator’s stock, valued at approximately $1,199,000. Union Pacific makes up about 1.1% of Patrick M Sweeney & Associates Inc.’s portfolio, making the stock its 20th biggest holding.

Other institutional investors have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Valued Wealth Advisors LLC acquired a new position in Union Pacific in the fourth quarter worth about $28,000. BluePath Capital Management LLC bought a new stake in shares of Union Pacific in the 3rd quarter valued at approximately $25,000. Stuart Chaussee & Associates Inc. bought a new position in Union Pacific during the fourth quarter worth $36,000. Fortitude Family Office LLC bought a new position in shares of Union Pacific in the 4th quarter worth about $44,000. Finally, AJOVista LLC bought a new stake in shares of Union Pacific during the 4th quarter valued at about $100,000. 80.38% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Union Pacific Stock Up 1.5 %

Shares of NYSE:UNP traded up $3.52 on Wednesday, reaching $245.90. The company had a trading volume of 1,731,185 shares, compared to its average volume of 2,287,434. The stock has a market capitalization of $150.03 billion, a P/E ratio of 23.38, a P/E/G ratio of 2.55 and a beta of 1.06. The stock has a 50-day moving average price of $242.47 and a 200 day moving average price of $236.79. Union Pacific Co. has a twelve month low of $190.71 and a twelve month high of $258.66. The company has a quick ratio of 0.76, a current ratio of 0.93 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.99.

Union Pacific (NYSE:UNP) last announced its earnings results on Thursday, April 25th. The railroad operator reported $2.69 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $2.50 by $0.19. Union Pacific had a return on equity of 44.34% and a net margin of 26.52%. The firm had revenue of $6.03 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $5.97 billion. During the same quarter in the prior year, the business earned $2.67 earnings per share. The company’s revenue was down .4% on a year-over-year basis. On average, equities analysts expect that Union Pacific Co. will post 11.21 EPS for the current year.

Union Pacific Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, March 29th. Stockholders of record on Thursday, February 29th were given a $1.30 dividend. This represents a $5.20 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 2.11%. The ex-dividend date was Wednesday, February 28th. Union Pacific’s dividend payout ratio is currently 49.62%.

Insider Transactions at Union Pacific

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 transaction of $937,500.00. Following the completion of the sale, the president now owns 56,682 shares in the company, valued at approximately $14,170,500. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available through the SEC website. 0.26% of the stock is currently owned by corporate insiders.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

UNP has been the topic of a number of analyst reports. Evercore ISI increased their price objective on shares of Union Pacific from $271.00 to $273.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a report on Friday, April 26th. BMO Capital Markets lifted their price objective on shares of Union Pacific from $270.00 to $275.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a research note on Friday, January 26th. StockNews.com upgraded shares of Union Pacific from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a report on Friday, April 26th. Morgan Stanley raised their target price on shares of Union Pacific from $198.00 to $210.00 and gave the stock an “equal weight” rating in a report on Friday, April 26th. Finally, Jefferies Financial Group initiated coverage on Union Pacific in a report on Monday, April 8th. They issued a “hold” rating and a $250.00 price target on the stock. Six investment analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, fourteen have given a buy rating and one has issued a strong buy rating to the company. According to MarketBeat, the company currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $259.61.

Union Pacific Company 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.