GPS Wealth Strategies Group LLC Sells 2,921 Shares of Union Pacific Corporation $UNP

GPS Wealth Strategies Group LLC reduced its holdings in shares of Union Pacific Corporation (NYSE:UNP) by 69.6% in the 4th quarter, HoldingsChannel.com reports. The fund owned 1,274 shares of the railroad operator’s stock after selling 2,921 shares during the quarter. GPS Wealth Strategies Group LLC’s holdings in Union Pacific were worth $295,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

Several other hedge funds and other institutional investors also recently made changes to their positions in the business. Associated Banc Corp boosted its stake in shares of Union Pacific by 5.9% during the 4th quarter. Associated Banc Corp now owns 89,738 shares of the railroad operator’s stock worth $20,758,000 after acquiring an additional 4,972 shares during the period. Delta Financial Advisors LLC boosted its stake in shares of Union Pacific by 31.8% during the 4th quarter. Delta Financial Advisors LLC now owns 5,593 shares of the railroad operator’s stock worth $1,294,000 after acquiring an additional 1,348 shares during the period. Nixon Peabody Trust Co. boosted its stake in shares of Union Pacific by 6.8% during the 4th quarter. Nixon Peabody Trust Co. now owns 1,488 shares of the railroad operator’s stock worth $344,000 after acquiring an additional 95 shares during the period. Karras Company Inc. bought a new position in shares of Union Pacific during the 4th quarter worth approximately $505,000. Finally, Evoke Wealth LLC boosted its stake in shares of Union Pacific by 14.4% during the 4th quarter. Evoke Wealth LLC now owns 11,272 shares of the railroad operator’s stock worth $2,608,000 after acquiring an additional 1,420 shares during the period. 80.38% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

Union Pacific Stock Performance

NYSE:UNP opened at $265.65 on Friday. The stock has a fifty day moving average price of $253.79 and a 200-day moving average price of $243.82. The company has a market cap of $157.72 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 21.88, a PEG ratio of 2.82 and a beta of 0.99. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.53, a quick ratio of 0.73 and a current ratio of 0.92. Union Pacific Corporation has a fifty-two week low of $210.84 and a fifty-two week high of $276.40.

Union Pacific (NYSE:UNP) last released its earnings results on Thursday, April 23rd. The railroad operator reported $2.93 earnings per share for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $2.86 by $0.07. The firm had revenue of $6.22 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $6.12 billion. Union Pacific had a return on equity of 39.58% and a net margin of 29.20%.The company’s revenue was up 3.2% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period in the prior year, the company posted $2.70 EPS. As a group, equities analysts anticipate that Union Pacific Corporation will post 12.53 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Union Pacific Announces Dividend

The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, June 30th. Stockholders of record on Friday, May 29th will be given a dividend of $1.38 per share. This represents a $5.52 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 2.1%. The ex-dividend date is Friday, May 29th. Union Pacific’s dividend payout ratio is presently 45.47%.

Insider Activity

In other news, CFO Jennifer L. Hamann sold 2,000 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction on Friday, April 24th. The stock was sold at an average price of $274.70, for a total transaction of $549,400.00. Following the completion of the sale, the chief financial officer directly owned 114,642 shares in the company, valued at approximately $31,492,157.40. This represents a 1.71% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. Also, EVP Eric J. Gehringer sold 1,999 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction on Friday, March 20th. The shares were sold at an average price of $234.93, for a total value of $469,625.07. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. In the last three months, insiders sold 31,386 shares of company stock worth $8,461,716. 0.22% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

Several analysts recently issued reports on UNP shares. Benchmark boosted their price target on Union Pacific from $275.00 to $300.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research note on Friday, April 24th. The Goldman Sachs Group restated a “neutral” rating and issued a $267.00 price target on shares of Union Pacific in a research note on Tuesday, January 27th. BMO Capital Markets restated a “market perform” rating and issued a $285.00 price target (up from $278.00) on shares of Union Pacific in a research note on Friday, April 24th. Robert W. Baird set a $311.00 price target on Union Pacific and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a research note on Friday, March 6th. Finally, Wells Fargo & Company restated an “overweight” rating and issued a $300.00 price target (up from $260.00) on shares of Union Pacific in a research note on Friday, April 24th. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, twelve have given a Buy rating and eight have issued a Hold rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the stock presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $280.47.

Union Pacific Profile

Union Pacific Corporation (NYSE: UNP) is one of the largest freight railroad companies in the United States. Its principal operating subsidiary, Union Pacific Railroad, has roots that trace back to the Pacific Railway Act of 1862 and the construction of the first transcontinental rail link completed in 1869. The company is headquartered in Omaha, Nebraska, and operates as a holding company for rail transportation and related services.

Union Pacific’s core business is the movement of freight by rail across an extensive rail network serving the western two?thirds of the United States.