Savvy Advisors Inc. Increases Stake in Union Pacific Co. (NYSE:UNP)

Savvy Advisors Inc. increased its holdings in Union Pacific Co. (NYSE:UNP) by 11.9% in the fourth quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The firm owned 2,027 shares of the railroad operator’s stock after acquiring an additional 216 shares during the quarter. Savvy Advisors Inc.’s holdings in Union Pacific were worth $462,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Other hedge funds and other institutional investors also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Compass Financial Services Inc purchased a new stake in shares of Union Pacific in the 4th quarter worth approximately $25,000. Synergy Asset Management LLC purchased a new stake in Union Pacific during the fourth quarter worth $29,000. EnRich Financial Partners LLC bought a new stake in Union Pacific during the 4th quarter valued at $31,000. PrairieView Partners LLC purchased a new position in shares of Union Pacific in the 4th quarter valued at $34,000. Finally, Kentucky Trust Co bought a new position in shares of Union Pacific in the 4th quarter worth $40,000. 80.38% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several equities analysts have issued reports on the company. Benchmark lifted their target price on Union Pacific from $266.00 to $275.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research note on Friday, January 24th. Citigroup raised shares of Union Pacific from a “neutral” rating to a “buy” rating and cut their price objective for the stock from $260.00 to $244.00 in a research report on Tuesday, April 8th. Guggenheim increased their target price on shares of Union Pacific from $266.00 to $275.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research report on Friday, January 24th. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft started coverage on shares of Union Pacific in a report on Friday, March 7th. They issued a “buy” rating and a $295.00 price target on the stock. Finally, Raymond James decreased their price objective on Union Pacific from $285.00 to $260.00 and set a “strong-buy” rating for the company in a report on Friday. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, seven have issued a hold rating, thirteen have assigned a buy rating and one has assigned a strong buy rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat, Union Pacific presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $257.43.

Union Pacific Stock Performance

Shares of NYSE UNP opened at $222.18 on Tuesday. The company has a 50 day simple moving average of $237.03 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $237.08. The stock has a market cap of $133.16 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 20.03, a PEG ratio of 2.15 and a beta of 1.06. The company has a current ratio of 0.77, a quick ratio of 0.62 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.76. Union Pacific Co. has a 12 month low of $204.66 and a 12 month high of $258.07.

Union Pacific (NYSE:UNP) last posted its earnings results on Thursday, January 23rd. The railroad operator reported $2.91 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating 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 quarter in the prior year, the firm earned $2.71 earnings per share. As a group, analysts predict that Union Pacific Co. will post 11.99 earnings per share for the current year.

Union Pacific Dividend Announcement

The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Monday, March 31st. Stockholders of record on Friday, February 28th were paid a $1.34 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Friday, February 28th. This represents a $5.36 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 2.41%. Union Pacific’s payout ratio is 48.33%.

Insider Buying and Selling

In other Union Pacific news, President Elizabeth F. Whited sold 7,500 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction that occurred 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 sale, the president now owns 64,960 shares in the company, valued at approximately $16,240,000. This represents a 10.35 % decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is accessible through this link. Also, EVP Craig V. Richardson sold 6,495 shares of Union Pacific stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, January 27th. The shares were sold at an average price of $252.00, for a total transaction of $1,636,740.00. Following the transaction, the executive vice president now directly owns 26,319 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $6,632,388. This trade represents a 19.79 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. 0.28% of the stock is owned by corporate insiders.

Union Pacific 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.