Transce3nd LLC Purchases New Stake in Union Pacific Co. (NYSE:UNP)

Transce3nd LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Union Pacific Co. (NYSE:UNP) in the 4th quarter, Holdings Channel reports. The institutional investor purchased 317 shares of the railroad operator’s stock, valued at approximately $72,000.

Other hedge funds have also recently modified their holdings of the company. Compass Financial Services Inc bought a new stake in shares of Union Pacific in the fourth quarter worth about $25,000. Synergy Asset Management LLC purchased a new stake in Union Pacific in the 4th quarter worth approximately $29,000. EnRich Financial Partners LLC bought a new stake in shares of Union Pacific in the 4th quarter worth approximately $31,000. PrairieView Partners LLC purchased a new position in shares of Union Pacific during the fourth quarter valued at approximately $34,000. Finally, Strategic Investment Solutions Inc. IL raised its holdings in shares of Union Pacific by 38.8% during the fourth quarter. Strategic Investment Solutions Inc. IL now owns 161 shares of the railroad operator’s stock valued at $39,000 after acquiring an additional 45 shares in the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 80.38% of the company’s stock.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

A number of research analysts have issued reports on the stock. Benchmark boosted their price objective 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. Jefferies Financial Group reduced their price target on shares of Union Pacific from $255.00 to $230.00 and set a “hold” rating on the stock in a research report on Wednesday, April 9th. Loop Capital lowered shares of Union Pacific from a “hold” rating to a “sell” rating and lowered their price objective for the stock from $265.00 to $200.00 in a report on Monday, February 3rd. Wells Fargo & Company reduced their target price on Union Pacific from $265.00 to $260.00 and set an “overweight” rating on the stock in a report on Thursday, March 27th. Finally, Redburn Atlantic upgraded Union Pacific from a “neutral” rating to a “buy” rating and set a $259.00 target price for the company in a research note on Wednesday, April 16th. One analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, seven have given a hold rating, fourteen have issued a buy rating and one has issued a strong buy rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat.com, Union Pacific has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $257.50.

Insider Buying and Selling

In other 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 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 $6,632,388. This represents a 19.79 % decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this link. Also, President Elizabeth F. Whited sold 7,500 shares of Union Pacific 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 sale, the president now directly 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. 0.28% of the stock is owned by corporate insiders.

Union Pacific Trading Down 1.9 %

Shares of NYSE UNP opened at $216.18 on Tuesday. The firm’s 50 day moving average price is $234.38 and its 200-day moving average price is $236.23. Union Pacific Co. has a 52-week low of $204.66 and a 52-week high of $258.07. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.76, a quick ratio of 0.62 and a current ratio of 0.77. The company has a market cap of $129.56 billion, a PE ratio of 19.49, a P/E/G ratio of 2.15 and a beta of 1.06.

Union Pacific (NYSE:UNP) last released its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, January 23rd. The railroad operator reported $2.91 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating 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 period in the previous year, the firm posted $2.71 EPS. On average, equities research analysts expect that Union Pacific Co. will post 11.99 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Union Pacific Announces Dividend

The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Monday, March 31st. Investors of record on Friday, February 28th were given a dividend of $1.34 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Friday, February 28th. This represents a $5.36 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 2.48%. Union Pacific’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 48.33%.

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.