Tocqueville Asset Management L.P. Buys Shares of 50,862 Union Pacific Corporation $UNP

Tocqueville Asset Management L.P. purchased a new stake in shares of Union Pacific Corporation (NYSE:UNP) during the second quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The institutional investor purchased 50,862 shares of the railroad operator’s stock, valued at approximately $13,834,000.

Several other institutional investors and hedge funds also recently made changes to their positions in the company. Rachor Investment Advisory Services LLC bought a new stake in Union Pacific in the 4th quarter valued at about $25,000. Tucker Asset Management LLC bought a new stake in shares of Union Pacific in the fourth quarter valued at approximately $25,000. SWAN Capital LLC raised its position in shares of Union Pacific by 2,575.0% in the fourth quarter. SWAN Capital LLC now owns 107 shares of the railroad operator’s stock valued at $25,000 after purchasing an additional 103 shares during the period. High Point Wealth Management LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Union Pacific during the 4th quarter valued at approximately $26,000. Finally, Cornerstone Financial Management LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Union Pacific during the 4th quarter valued at approximately $27,000. Institutional investors own 80.38% of the company’s stock.

Union Pacific Price Performance

Shares of NYSE UNP opened at $304.34 on Friday. The stock’s 50-day simple moving average is $285.59 and its two-hundred day simple moving average is $267.31. Union Pacific Corporation has a twelve month low of $210.84 and a twelve month high of $315.99. The firm has a market capitalization of $180.80 billion, a P/E ratio of 24.64, a P/E/G ratio of 3.08 and a beta of 0.96. The company has a quick ratio of 0.82, a current ratio of 0.99 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.40.

Union Pacific (NYSE:UNP) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, July 23rd. The railroad operator reported $3.41 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $3.26 by $0.15. Union Pacific had a return on equity of 38.46% and a net margin of 28.85%.The firm had revenue of $6.86 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $6.72 billion. During the same quarter last year, the company posted $3.03 EPS. The company’s revenue for the quarter was up 11.5% on a year-over-year basis. As a group, equities analysts anticipate that Union Pacific Corporation will post 12.93 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Union Pacific Increases Dividend

The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, September 30th. Investors of record on Monday, August 31st will be paid a $1.42 dividend. This is an increase from Union Pacific’s previous quarterly dividend of $1.38. This represents a $5.68 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 1.9%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Monday, August 31st. Union Pacific’s payout ratio is 44.70%.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

A number of research firms recently weighed in on UNP. Susquehanna lifted their price objective on shares of Union Pacific from $305.00 to $333.00 and gave the company a “positive” rating in a research note on Tuesday, July 14th. Royal Bank Of Canada reaffirmed an “outperform” rating and set a $339.00 target price (up from $289.00) on shares of Union Pacific in a report on Friday, July 24th. UBS Group reiterated a “neutral” rating and set a $310.00 price target (up from $286.00) on shares of Union Pacific in a research report on Friday, July 24th. Citizens Jmp initiated coverage on shares of Union Pacific in a report on Wednesday, July 15th. They issued an “outperform” rating and a $350.00 price target on the stock. Finally, The Goldman Sachs Group set a $317.00 price objective on shares of Union Pacific and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a research report on Thursday, July 23rd. Two equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, thirteen have assigned a Buy rating and six have issued a Hold rating to the company’s stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the stock presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $320.89.

Insider Transactions at Union Pacific

In other Union Pacific news, EVP Eric J. Gehringer sold 2,991 shares of Union Pacific stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, June 3rd. The shares were sold at an average price of $263.96, for a total transaction of $789,504.36. Following the completion of the sale, the executive vice president directly owned 43,012 shares in the company, valued at $11,353,447.52. The trade was a 6.50% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available through this hyperlink. 0.22% of the stock is currently owned by insiders.

Union Pacific Company 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.