Union Pacific Co. (NYSE:UNP) Shares Sold by Cox Capital Mgt LLC

Cox Capital Mgt LLC lessened its stake in Union Pacific Co. (NYSE:UNP) by 7.0% in the second quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The fund owned 5,540 shares of the railroad operator’s stock after selling 419 shares during the period. Cox Capital Mgt LLC’s holdings in Union Pacific were worth $1,253,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Several other institutional investors have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the stock. Silver Oak Advisory Group Inc. acquired a new position in Union Pacific in the fourth quarter worth about $219,000. Allegheny Financial Group LTD grew its position in shares of Union Pacific by 22.5% in the 4th quarter. Allegheny Financial Group LTD now owns 10,885 shares of the railroad operator’s stock worth $2,674,000 after acquiring an additional 2,000 shares in the last quarter. Silver Oak Securities Incorporated bought a new stake in Union Pacific during the fourth quarter valued at $238,000. BNP Paribas acquired a new stake in Union Pacific during the first quarter worth about $1,088,000. Finally, Stifel Financial Corp raised its stake in Union Pacific by 10.8% during the fourth quarter. Stifel Financial Corp now owns 2,273,959 shares of the railroad operator’s stock worth $558,542,000 after acquiring an additional 222,318 shares during the period. 80.38% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Insider Activity at Union Pacific

In other Union Pacific news, President Elizabeth F. Whited sold 3,552 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, July 30th. The shares were sold at an average price of $246.59, for a total value of $875,887.68. Following the completion of the sale, the president now owns 64,945 shares in the company, valued at approximately $16,014,787.55. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through this link. 0.28% of the stock is owned by insiders.

Union Pacific Price Performance

NYSE:UNP traded up $0.55 during trading hours on Tuesday, reaching $237.30. 1,486,163 shares of the company’s stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 2,288,211. The company has a market capitalization of $144.56 billion, a P/E ratio of 22.64, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.10 and a beta of 1.06. Union Pacific Co. has a 12 month low of $199.33 and a 12 month high of $258.66. The company has a quick ratio of 0.86, a current ratio of 1.05 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.89. The business’s 50-day simple moving average is $231.85 and its two-hundred day simple moving average is $239.06.

Union Pacific (NYSE:UNP) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, July 25th. The railroad operator reported $2.74 EPS for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $2.71 by $0.03. The business had revenue of $6.01 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $6.05 billion. Union Pacific had a net margin of 26.90% and a return on equity of 42.62%. The firm’s quarterly revenue was up .7% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter in the prior year, the firm earned $2.57 EPS. Sell-side analysts expect that Union Pacific Co. will post 11.12 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Union Pacific Increases Dividend

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, September 30th. Investors of record on Friday, August 30th will be given a $1.34 dividend. This represents a $5.36 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 2.26%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, August 30th. This is an increase from Union Pacific’s previous quarterly dividend of $1.30. Union Pacific’s dividend payout ratio is 49.62%.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several research firms recently weighed in on UNP. Susquehanna dropped their price objective on shares of Union Pacific from $270.00 to $250.00 and set a “neutral” rating on the stock in a research note on Tuesday, June 25th. Raymond James restated a “strong-buy” rating and issued a $280.00 target price (up previously from $275.00) on shares of Union Pacific in a research report on Friday, April 26th. Benchmark restated a “buy” rating and issued a $266.00 target price on shares of Union Pacific in a research report on Monday, July 29th. Stifel Nicolaus decreased their target price on shares of Union Pacific from $267.00 to $265.00 and set a “buy” rating for the company in a research report on Wednesday, July 17th. Finally, StockNews.com cut shares of Union Pacific from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research report on Tuesday, June 18th. Seven research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, twelve have issued a buy rating and one has given a strong buy rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the company presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $258.79.

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.