Sumitomo Mitsui Trust Group Inc. Acquires 25,831 Shares of Union Pacific Co. (NYSE:UNP)

Sumitomo Mitsui Trust Group Inc. increased its stake in Union Pacific Co. (NYSE:UNP) by 1.9% in the 4th quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 1,387,382 shares of the railroad operator’s stock after acquiring an additional 25,831 shares during the quarter. Sumitomo Mitsui Trust Group Inc.’s holdings in Union Pacific were worth $316,379,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Other institutional investors also recently modified their holdings of the company. Synergy Asset Management LLC bought a new stake in Union Pacific in the fourth quarter valued at $29,000. Catalyst Capital Advisors LLC bought a new stake in Union Pacific in the 3rd quarter valued at about $30,000. Jamison Private Wealth Management Inc. raised its stake in Union Pacific by 265.7% during the 3rd quarter. Jamison Private Wealth Management Inc. now owns 128 shares of the railroad operator’s stock worth $32,000 after buying an additional 93 shares during the period. Dunhill Financial LLC boosted its holdings in Union Pacific by 111.5% in the third quarter. Dunhill Financial LLC now owns 129 shares of the railroad operator’s stock worth $32,000 after acquiring an additional 68 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Peterson Financial Group Inc. acquired a new stake in Union Pacific in the third quarter valued at approximately $32,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 80.38% of the company’s stock.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

UNP has been the topic of a number of recent research reports. Raymond James reiterated a “strong-buy” rating and issued a $285.00 target price (up from $265.00) on shares of Union Pacific in a report on Friday, January 24th. Guggenheim raised their price objective on shares of Union Pacific from $266.00 to $275.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research note on Friday, January 24th. Susquehanna decreased their target price on shares of Union Pacific from $260.00 to $255.00 and set a “neutral” rating for the company in a research report on Friday, October 25th. Barclays raised their price target on shares of Union Pacific from $275.00 to $285.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a research report on Wednesday, November 13th. Finally, Citigroup boosted their price objective on Union Pacific from $254.00 to $260.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a report on Friday, January 24th. One research analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, seven have assigned a hold rating, twelve have given a buy rating and one has given a strong buy rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the company currently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $261.40.

Union Pacific Stock Performance

NYSE:UNP opened at $243.61 on Friday. Union Pacific Co. has a 1-year low of $218.55 and a 1-year high of $258.66. The company has a market capitalization of $147.69 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 21.97, a PEG ratio of 2.15 and a beta of 1.06. The business has a 50 day moving average of $235.23 and a 200 day moving average of $240.15. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.76, a current ratio of 0.77 and a quick ratio of 0.63.

Union Pacific (NYSE:UNP) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, January 23rd. The railroad operator reported $2.91 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $2.76 by $0.15. Union Pacific had a net margin of 27.82% and a return on equity of 41.12%. During the same period last year, the firm posted $2.71 EPS. On average, sell-side analysts predict that Union Pacific Co. will post 12.03 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Union Pacific Announces Dividend

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, March 31st. Shareholders of record on Friday, February 28th will be given a dividend of $1.34 per share. This represents a $5.36 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 2.20%. Union Pacific’s payout ratio is 48.33%.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other Union Pacific news, EVP Craig V. Richardson sold 6,495 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction dated Monday, January 27th. The shares were sold at an average price of $252.00, for a total value of $1,636,740.00. Following the completion of the sale, the executive vice president now directly owns 26,319 shares in the company, valued at $6,632,388. This trade represents a 19.79 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available at this link. Also, President Elizabeth F. Whited sold 7,500 shares of Union Pacific stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, January 24th. The shares were sold at an average price of $250.00, for a total value of $1,875,000.00. Following the sale, the president now directly owns 64,960 shares in the company, valued at approximately $16,240,000. The trade was a 10.35 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Company insiders own 0.26% of the company’s stock.

Union Pacific Company Profile

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.