Semanteon Capital Management LP Grows Position in Union Pacific Co. (NYSE:UNP)

Semanteon Capital Management LP increased its position in shares of Union Pacific Co. (NYSE:UNP) by 275.5% during the fourth quarter, Holdings Channel reports. The institutional investor owned 6,233 shares of the railroad operator’s stock after buying an additional 4,573 shares during the quarter. Semanteon Capital Management LP’s holdings in Union Pacific were worth $1,421,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Other large investors have also recently made changes to their positions in the company. Compass Financial Services Inc purchased a new stake in shares of Union Pacific during the fourth quarter worth approximately $25,000. Synergy Asset Management LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Union Pacific during the fourth quarter worth approximately $29,000. Dunhill Financial LLC increased its stake in shares of Union Pacific by 111.5% during the third quarter. Dunhill Financial LLC now owns 129 shares of the railroad operator’s stock worth $32,000 after buying an additional 68 shares during the period. PrairieView Partners LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Union Pacific during the fourth quarter worth approximately $34,000. Finally, Kentucky Trust Co purchased a new stake in shares of Union Pacific during the fourth quarter worth approximately $40,000. 80.38% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

UNP has been the subject of a number of research analyst reports. BMO Capital Markets upped their price target on Union Pacific from $275.00 to $277.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a report on Friday, January 24th. Stifel Nicolaus upped their price target on Union Pacific from $253.00 to $270.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a report on Friday, January 24th. Raymond James reaffirmed a “strong-buy” rating and issued a $285.00 price target (up from $265.00) on shares of Union Pacific in a report on Friday, January 24th. Wells Fargo & Company lowered their price target on Union Pacific from $267.00 to $265.00 and set an “overweight” rating for the company in a report on Tuesday, January 7th. Finally, Loop Capital downgraded Union Pacific from a “hold” rating to a “sell” rating and lowered their price target for the company from $265.00 to $200.00 in a report on Monday, February 3rd. One analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, seven have given a hold rating, thirteen have issued a buy rating and one has given a strong buy rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the company presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $263.00.

Union Pacific Price Performance

Shares of NYSE UNP opened at $234.67 on Friday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.76, a current ratio of 0.77 and a quick ratio of 0.62. The stock has a fifty day moving average price of $242.51 and a 200 day moving average price of $240.31. Union Pacific Co. has a 1-year low of $218.55 and a 1-year high of $258.07. The company has a market cap of $141.81 billion, a PE ratio of 21.16, a P/E/G ratio of 2.15 and a beta of 1.05.

Union Pacific (NYSE:UNP) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, January 23rd. The railroad operator reported $2.91 earnings per share for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $2.76 by $0.15. Union Pacific had a return on equity of 41.12% and a net margin of 27.82%. During the same quarter in the prior year, the firm earned $2.71 earnings per share. Sell-side analysts forecast that Union Pacific Co. will post 11.99 EPS for the current year.

Union Pacific Dividend Announcement

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, March 31st. Investors of record on Friday, February 28th will be issued a dividend of $1.34 per share. This represents a $5.36 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 2.28%. The ex-dividend date is Friday, February 28th. Union Pacific’s dividend payout ratio is presently 48.33%.

Insider Buying and Selling

In other Union Pacific news, EVP Craig V. Richardson sold 6,495 shares of the stock in a transaction on Monday, January 27th. The stock was sold at an average price of $252.00, for a total value of $1,636,740.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the executive vice president now owns 26,319 shares in the company, valued at approximately $6,632,388. This represents a 19.79 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through this link. Also, President Elizabeth F. Whited sold 7,500 shares of the stock in a transaction on Friday, January 24th. The stock was sold at an average price of $250.00, for a total value of $1,875,000.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the president now owns 64,960 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $16,240,000. The trade was a 10.35 % decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Corporate insiders own 0.28% of the company’s stock.

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.