Smith Chas P & Associates PA Cpas Raises Stake in Union Pacific Corporation $UNP

Key Points

• Smith Chas P & Associates PA Cpas increased its Union Pacific stake by 71.8% in the fourth quarter, buying 49,854 additional shares and bringing its total holdings to 119,286 shares valued at about $27.6 million.
• Several other institutional investors also boosted their positions, and 80.38% of Union Pacific’s stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutions, underscoring strong institutional interest in the railroad operator.
• Wall Street remains constructive on UNP: analysts have issued multiple buy or outperform ratings, with an average target price of $280.47. The company also beat quarterly earnings expectations and announced a $1.38 per share quarterly dividend.

Smith Chas P & Associates PA Cpas grew its stake in shares of Union Pacific Corporation (NYSE:UNP - Free Report) by 71.8% in the fourth quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The firm owned 119,286 shares of the railroad operator's stock after purchasing an additional 49,854 shares during the quarter. Union Pacific makes up approximately 1.5% of Smith Chas P & Associates PA Cpas' investment portfolio, making the stock its 29th largest position. Smith Chas P & Associates PA Cpas' holdings in Union Pacific were worth $27,593,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

A number of other large investors have also recently made changes to their positions in UNP. Acadian Asset Management LLC lifted its stake in Union Pacific by 40.4% in the first quarter. Acadian Asset Management LLC now owns 2,312 shares of the railroad operator's stock worth $546,000 after acquiring an additional 665 shares during the period. Schnieders Capital Management LLC. raised its holdings in Union Pacific by 0.5% in the second quarter. Schnieders Capital Management LLC. now owns 20,606 shares of the railroad operator's stock worth $4,741,000 after purchasing an additional 102 shares in the last quarter. Main Street Financial Solutions LLC raised its holdings in Union Pacific by 1.6% in the second quarter. Main Street Financial Solutions LLC now owns 3,733 shares of the railroad operator's stock worth $859,000 after purchasing an additional 58 shares in the last quarter. HUB Investment Partners LLC raised its holdings in Union Pacific by 10.0% in the second quarter. HUB Investment Partners LLC now owns 6,091 shares of the railroad operator's stock worth $1,401,000 after purchasing an additional 554 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Alliancebernstein L.P. raised its holdings in Union Pacific by 7.4% in the second quarter. Alliancebernstein L.P. now owns 1,528,426 shares of the railroad operator's stock worth $351,660,000 after purchasing an additional 105,664 shares in the last quarter. 80.38% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

UNP has been the subject of a number of recent research reports. Benchmark boosted their target price on shares of Union Pacific from $275.00 to $300.00 and gave the stock a "buy" rating in a report on Friday, April 24th. TD Cowen boosted their target price on shares of Union Pacific from $256.00 to $282.00 and gave the stock a "buy" rating in a report on Friday, April 24th. Royal Bank Of Canada reiterated an "outperform" rating and issued a $289.00 target price (up from $273.00) on shares of Union Pacific in a report on Friday, April 24th. Wells Fargo & Company reiterated an "overweight" rating and issued a $300.00 target price (up from $260.00) on shares of Union Pacific in a report on Friday, April 24th. Finally, Weiss Ratings upgraded shares of Union Pacific from a "buy (b-)" rating to a "buy (b)" rating in a report on Tuesday, April 21st. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, twelve have issued a Buy rating and eight have issued a Hold rating to the company's stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, Union Pacific has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average price target of $280.47.

Insider Buying and Selling

In related news, CFO Jennifer L. Hamann sold 2,000 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction on Friday, April 24th. The stock was sold at an average price of $274.70, for a total value of $549,400.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief financial officer owned 114,642 shares in the company, valued at $31,492,157.40. This trade represents a 1.71% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available at this link. Also, EVP Eric J. Gehringer sold 1,999 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction on Friday, March 20th. The stock was sold at an average price of $234.93, for a total value of $469,625.07. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. Insiders sold 31,386 shares of company stock worth $8,461,716 in the last 90 days. Insiders own 0.22% of the company's stock.

Union Pacific Stock Performance

UNP opened at $279.41 on Thursday. Union Pacific Corporation has a 52-week low of $210.84 and a 52-week high of $279.70. The company has a quick ratio of 0.73, a current ratio of 0.92 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.53. The company has a market cap of $165.89 billion, a P/E ratio of 23.02, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.88 and a beta of 0.99. The firm's 50-day moving average price is $255.55 and its 200-day moving average price is $245.12.

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

Union Pacific Dividend Announcement

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, June 30th. Investors of record on Friday, May 29th will be paid a $1.38 dividend. The ex-dividend date is Friday, May 29th. This represents a $5.52 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 2.0%. Union Pacific's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 45.47%.

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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