Union Pacific Co. (NYSE:UNP) Shares Acquired by Balentine LLC

Balentine LLC increased its position in Union Pacific Co. (NYSE:UNP) by 33.9% in the 4th quarter, according to its most recent filing with the SEC. The fund owned 9,367 shares of the railroad operator’s stock after purchasing an additional 2,370 shares during the period. Balentine LLC’s holdings in Union Pacific were worth $2,301,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Several other institutional investors and hedge funds have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in UNP. Valued Wealth Advisors LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Union Pacific in the 4th quarter worth approximately $28,000. Stuart Chaussee & Associates Inc. purchased a new position in Union Pacific in the fourth quarter valued at about $36,000. Fortitude Family Office LLC purchased a new position in Union Pacific in the fourth quarter valued at about $44,000. USA Financial Formulas grew its stake in shares of Union Pacific by 219.6% during the fourth quarter. USA Financial Formulas now owns 179 shares of the railroad operator’s stock valued at $44,000 after acquiring an additional 123 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Private Wealth Management Group LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Union Pacific during the fourth quarter valued at about $46,000. 80.38% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Analyst Ratings Changes

A number of equities analysts have commented on UNP shares. Raymond James restated a “strong-buy” rating and issued a $280.00 target price (up from $275.00) on shares of Union Pacific in a research note on Friday, April 26th. TD Cowen lifted their price objective on shares of Union Pacific from $252.00 to $258.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research report on Friday, April 26th. StockNews.com raised shares of Union Pacific from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a research note on Friday, April 26th. Morgan Stanley lifted their target price on Union Pacific from $198.00 to $210.00 and gave the stock an “equal weight” rating in a research report on Friday, April 26th. Finally, Stifel Nicolaus upgraded shares of Union Pacific from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating and raised their price target for the stock from $248.00 to $267.00 in a research note on Friday, May 3rd. 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.com, the stock presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $259.61.

Union Pacific Stock Performance

Shares of NYSE:UNP traded down $7.18 on Tuesday, reaching $236.45. 887,451 shares of the company’s stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 2,210,119. The company has a fifty day moving average of $241.33 and a 200-day moving average of $239.30. Union Pacific Co. has a twelve month low of $190.71 and a twelve month high of $258.66. The company has a market capitalization of $144.26 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 23.14, a PEG ratio of 2.59 and a beta of 1.06. The company has a current ratio of 0.93, a quick ratio of 0.76 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.99.

Union Pacific (NYSE:UNP) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, April 25th. The railroad operator reported $2.69 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $2.50 by $0.19. The business had revenue of $6.03 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $5.97 billion. Union Pacific had a net margin of 26.52% and a return on equity of 44.34%. The firm’s revenue for the quarter was down .4% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter last year, the business posted $2.67 EPS. On average, research analysts predict that Union Pacific Co. will post 11.26 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Union Pacific Announces Dividend

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, June 28th. Stockholders of record on Friday, May 31st will be paid a dividend of $1.30 per share. This represents a $5.20 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 2.20%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, May 31st. Union Pacific’s payout ratio is currently 49.62%.

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.