Wasatch Advisors LP Sells 1,500 Shares of Union Pacific Co. (NYSE:UNP)

Wasatch Advisors LP decreased its position in shares of Union Pacific Co. (NYSE:UNP) by 6.0% in the 4th quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The firm owned 23,400 shares of the railroad operator’s stock after selling 1,500 shares during the quarter. Wasatch Advisors LP’s holdings in Union Pacific were worth $5,748,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Several other institutional investors and hedge funds have also bought and sold shares of UNP. OLD Point Trust & Financial Services N A bought a new stake in Union Pacific during the fourth quarter worth about $25,000. Valued Wealth Advisors LLC bought a new position in shares of Union Pacific in the fourth quarter worth about $28,000. Stuart Chaussee & Associates Inc. bought a new position in shares of Union Pacific in the fourth quarter worth about $36,000. Fortitude Family Office LLC bought a new position in shares of Union Pacific in the fourth quarter worth about $44,000. Finally, USA Financial Formulas lifted its holdings in shares of Union Pacific by 219.6% in the fourth quarter. USA Financial Formulas now owns 179 shares of the railroad operator’s stock worth $44,000 after acquiring an additional 123 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors own 80.38% of the company’s stock.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

A number of research analysts have recently commented on the stock. Raymond James reissued a “strong-buy” rating and issued a $280.00 target price (up previously from $275.00) on shares of Union Pacific in a report on Friday, April 26th. Jefferies Financial Group assumed coverage on shares of Union Pacific in a report on Monday, April 8th. They issued a “hold” rating and a $250.00 target price for the company. JPMorgan Chase & Co. increased their target price on shares of Union Pacific from $237.00 to $243.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a report on Tuesday, April 9th. Morgan Stanley upped their price objective on Union Pacific from $198.00 to $210.00 and gave the company an “equal weight” rating in a research note on Friday, April 26th. Finally, Wells Fargo & Company started coverage on Union Pacific in a research note on Friday, June 7th. They issued an “overweight” rating and a $270.00 price objective for the company. Six analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, fourteen have given a buy rating and one has assigned a strong buy rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat, Union Pacific has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $260.70.

Union Pacific Stock Performance

NYSE:UNP opened at $227.43 on Wednesday. The company has a market capitalization of $138.76 billion, a PE ratio of 21.70, a P/E/G ratio of 1.86 and a beta of 1.05. The company has a 50 day simple moving average of $236.45 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $240.81. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.99, a quick ratio of 0.76 and a current ratio of 0.93. Union Pacific Co. has a fifty-two week low of $194.60 and a fifty-two week high of $258.66.

Union Pacific (NYSE:UNP) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, April 25th. The railroad operator reported $2.69 EPS for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $2.50 by $0.19. The company had revenue of $6.03 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $5.97 billion. Union Pacific had a net margin of 26.52% and a return on equity of 44.34%. The company’s quarterly revenue was down .4% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter last year, the firm posted $2.67 EPS. Research analysts anticipate that Union Pacific Co. will post 11.25 earnings per share for the current year.

Union Pacific Dividend Announcement

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, June 28th. Stockholders of record on Friday, May 31st will be given a dividend of $1.30 per share. This represents a $5.20 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 2.29%. The ex-dividend date is Friday, May 31st. Union Pacific’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 49.62%.

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.