Union Pacific Co. (NYSE:UNP) Stock Holdings Trimmed by Wedge Capital Management L L P NC

Wedge Capital Management L L P NC decreased its holdings in Union Pacific Co. (NYSE:UNP) by 41.3% in the 4th quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the SEC. The institutional investor owned 23,522 shares of the railroad operator’s stock after selling 16,547 shares during the quarter. Wedge Capital Management L L P NC’s holdings in Union Pacific were worth $5,777,000 as of its most recent filing with the SEC.

A number of other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also modified their holdings of UNP. Desjardins Global Asset Management Inc. raised its position in shares of Union Pacific by 1.4% during the 4th quarter. Desjardins Global Asset Management Inc. now owns 3,000 shares of the railroad operator’s stock worth $737,000 after buying an additional 41 shares in the last quarter. Twin Capital Management Inc. lifted its position in Union Pacific by 3.0% in the fourth quarter. Twin Capital Management Inc. now owns 1,394 shares of the railroad operator’s stock worth $342,000 after purchasing an additional 41 shares during the period. Sunburst Financial Group LLC boosted its stake in Union Pacific by 1.8% during the 4th quarter. Sunburst Financial Group LLC now owns 2,393 shares of the railroad operator’s stock valued at $588,000 after purchasing an additional 42 shares in the last quarter. Sunflower Bank N.A. increased its position in shares of Union Pacific by 0.8% during the 4th quarter. Sunflower Bank N.A. now owns 5,573 shares of the railroad operator’s stock valued at $1,369,000 after purchasing an additional 43 shares during the period. Finally, West Paces Advisors Inc. raised its stake in shares of Union Pacific by 2.3% in the 4th quarter. West Paces Advisors Inc. now owns 1,886 shares of the railroad operator’s stock worth $463,000 after buying an additional 43 shares in the last quarter. 80.38% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

Union Pacific Stock Performance

Shares of UNP stock opened at $236.29 on Wednesday. The firm has a market cap of $144.16 billion, a P/E ratio of 22.59, a PEG ratio of 2.53 and a beta of 1.07. The stock’s 50-day moving average is $244.85 and its two-hundred day moving average is $234.64. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 2.11, a current ratio of 0.81 and a quick ratio of 0.67. Union Pacific Co. has a fifty-two week low of $190.37 and a fifty-two week high of $258.66.

Union Pacific (NYSE:UNP) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, January 25th. The railroad operator reported $2.71 earnings per share for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $2.56 by $0.15. Union Pacific had a return on equity of 46.87% and a net margin of 26.45%. The company had revenue of $6.16 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $6.05 billion. During the same quarter in the previous year, the firm earned $2.67 earnings per share. The business’s quarterly revenue was down .3% compared to the same quarter last year. Analysts predict that Union Pacific Co. will post 11.01 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Union Pacific Dividend Announcement

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, March 29th. Shareholders of record on Thursday, February 29th were issued a dividend of $1.30 per share. This represents a $5.20 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 2.20%. The ex-dividend date was Wednesday, February 28th. Union Pacific’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 49.71%.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In related news, President Elizabeth F. Whited sold 3,750 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction on Thursday, February 15th. The shares were sold at an average price of $250.00, for a total transaction of $937,500.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the president now directly owns 56,682 shares in the company, valued at approximately $14,170,500. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available through the SEC website. Company insiders own 0.26% of the company’s stock.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

UNP has been the topic of a number of research analyst reports. BMO Capital Markets lifted their target price on Union Pacific from $270.00 to $275.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a report on Friday, January 26th. StockNews.com lowered shares of Union Pacific from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note on Monday, March 18th. Sanford C. Bernstein upgraded shares of Union Pacific from a “market perform” rating to an “outperform” rating and set a $280.00 price target on the stock in a research report on Monday, January 22nd. Susquehanna increased their price objective on Union Pacific from $245.00 to $255.00 and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a research report on Thursday, March 28th. Finally, Royal Bank of Canada decreased their target price on Union Pacific from $282.00 to $272.00 and set an “outperform” rating on the stock in a report on Friday, January 26th. Seven analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, eleven have issued a buy rating and one has assigned a strong buy rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the company has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $255.00.

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.