Loring Wolcott & Coolidge Fiduciary Advisors LLP MA Sells 5,952 Shares of Union Pacific Corporation $UNP

Key Points

• Loring Wolcott & Coolidge Fiduciary Advisors LLP MA sold 5,952 shares of Union Pacific, a 2.5% reduction that leaves the firm with 232,395 shares valued at about $54.04 million.
• Union Pacific beat quarterly expectations with EPS of $2.93 versus $2.84 estimated and revenue of $6.22 billion, while reporting strong profitability (ROE 40.89%, net margin 29.12%).
• The stock carries a consensus "Moderate Buy" rating with a $267.48 price target (Bernstein raised its target to $293), and the company pays a $1.38 quarterly dividend (annualized $5.52, ~2.2% yield).

Loring Wolcott & Coolidge Fiduciary Advisors LLP MA decreased its stake in shares of Union Pacific Corporation (NYSE:UNP - Free Report) by 2.5% during the fourth quarter, according to its most recent filing with the SEC. The institutional investor owned 232,395 shares of the railroad operator's stock after selling 5,952 shares during the period. Loring Wolcott & Coolidge Fiduciary Advisors LLP MA's holdings in Union Pacific were worth $54,044,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

A number of other hedge funds have also added to or reduced their stakes in UNP. Stephens Consulting LLC lifted its holdings in shares of Union Pacific by 48.4% in the fourth quarter. Stephens Consulting LLC now owns 135 shares of the railroad operator's stock worth $31,000 after buying an additional 44 shares in the last quarter. Howard Capital Management Group LLC grew its stake in Union Pacific by 2.0% during the third quarter. Howard Capital Management Group LLC now owns 2,252 shares of the railroad operator's stock valued at $532,000 after acquiring an additional 45 shares in the last quarter. Prestige Wealth Management Group LLC grew its stake in Union Pacific by 1.4% during the third quarter. Prestige Wealth Management Group LLC now owns 3,186 shares of the railroad operator's stock valued at $753,000 after acquiring an additional 45 shares in the last quarter. U.S. Capital Wealth Advisors LLC increased its holdings in Union Pacific by 0.9% during the 4th quarter. U.S. Capital Wealth Advisors LLC now owns 4,988 shares of the railroad operator's stock worth $1,154,000 after acquiring an additional 45 shares during the period. Finally, Keebeck Wealth Management increased its holdings in Union Pacific by 1.7% during the 3rd quarter. Keebeck Wealth Management now owns 2,691 shares of the railroad operator's stock worth $636,000 after acquiring an additional 45 shares during the period. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 80.38% of the company's stock.

Union Pacific Stock Down 0.5%

Shares of NYSE:UNP opened at $249.93 on Thursday. The stock has a market capitalization of $148.31 billion, a P/E ratio of 20.88, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.78 and a beta of 0.96. The stock's 50-day moving average price is $251.40 and its 200-day moving average price is $237.84. The company has a current ratio of 0.91, a quick ratio of 0.75 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.64. Union Pacific Corporation has a 12-month low of $206.63 and a 12-month high of $268.14.

Union Pacific (NYSE:UNP - Get Free Report) last issued its earnings results on Thursday, April 23rd. The railroad operator reported $2.93 earnings per share for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $2.84 by $0.09. The company had revenue of $6.22 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $6.12 billion. Union Pacific had a return on equity of 40.89% and a net margin of 29.12%. On average, equities analysts anticipate that Union Pacific Corporation will post 12.42 earnings per share for the current year.

Union Pacific Dividend Announcement

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Tuesday, March 31st. Investors of record on Friday, February 27th were paid a $1.38 dividend. This represents a $5.52 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 2.2%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Friday, February 27th. Union Pacific's payout ratio is presently 46.12%.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

UNP has been the subject of several analyst reports. Sanford C. Bernstein raised their price target on shares of Union Pacific from $289.00 to $293.00 and gave the company an "outperform" rating in a report on Tuesday, March 31st. The Goldman Sachs Group reiterated a "neutral" rating and set a $267.00 target price on shares of Union Pacific in a research report on Tuesday, January 27th. Evercore raised shares of Union Pacific from an "in-line" rating to an "outperform" rating and set a $262.00 price objective for the company in a report on Thursday, March 19th. TD Cowen cut their target price on shares of Union Pacific from $257.00 to $255.00 and set a "buy" rating for the company in a research report on Wednesday, January 28th. Finally, Raymond James Financial reissued a "strong-buy" rating on shares of Union Pacific in a research note on Wednesday, April 15th. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, fourteen have assigned a Buy rating and eight have issued a Hold rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat, Union Pacific has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus price target of $267.48.

Insider Activity at Union Pacific

In related news, 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 transaction of $469,625.07. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this link. 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.

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