Independence Bank of Kentucky Grows Stock Holdings in Union Pacific Co. (NYSE:UNP)

Independence Bank of Kentucky increased its stake in Union Pacific Co. (NYSE:UNP) by 4.1% during the 2nd quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The fund owned 6,132 shares of the railroad operator’s stock after purchasing an additional 240 shares during the quarter. Independence Bank of Kentucky’s holdings in Union Pacific were worth $1,387,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

A number of other large investors have also added to or reduced their stakes in UNP. OLD Point Trust & Financial Services N A bought a new stake in shares of Union Pacific in the fourth quarter worth $25,000. Richardson Capital Management LLC purchased a new position in shares of Union Pacific during the 1st quarter worth about $26,000. Raleigh Capital Management Inc. boosted its holdings in Union Pacific by 211.4% during the 4th quarter. Raleigh Capital Management Inc. now owns 109 shares of the railroad operator’s stock valued at $27,000 after acquiring an additional 74 shares during the period. Cultivar Capital Inc. bought a new position in shares of Union Pacific in the second quarter worth about $27,000. Finally, Scarborough Advisors LLC bought a new stake in shares of Union Pacific during the fourth quarter valued at approximately $29,000. Institutional investors own 80.38% of the company’s stock.

Insider Activity at Union Pacific

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

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

UNP has been the topic of several research analyst reports. Benchmark reissued a “buy” rating and issued a $266.00 price objective on shares of Union Pacific in a research note on Monday, July 29th. Susquehanna lowered their price target on Union Pacific from $270.00 to $250.00 and set a “neutral” rating for the company in a research report on Tuesday, June 25th. Wells Fargo & Company began coverage on Union Pacific in a report on Friday, June 7th. They set an “overweight” rating and a $270.00 target price on the stock. TD Cowen cut their price objective on shares of Union Pacific from $259.00 to $255.00 and set a “buy” rating for the company in a report on Friday, July 26th. Finally, StockNews.com lowered shares of Union Pacific from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note on Tuesday, June 18th. Seven investment 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 company’s stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $258.79.

Union Pacific Price Performance

Shares of Union Pacific stock traded up $2.53 on Friday, hitting $246.85. 2,449,222 shares of the company were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 2,001,557. 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 company has a 50-day moving average price of $234.81 and a 200 day moving average price of $239.00. The stock has a market capitalization of $150.38 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 23.55, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.16 and a beta of 1.06. Union Pacific Co. has a 1-year low of $199.33 and a 1-year high of $258.66.

Union Pacific (NYSE:UNP) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, July 25th. The railroad operator reported $2.74 earnings per share for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $2.71 by $0.03. Union Pacific had a net margin of 26.90% and a return on equity of 42.62%. The firm had revenue of $6.01 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $6.05 billion. During the same quarter in the previous year, the company posted $2.57 EPS. The company’s revenue was up .7% compared to the same quarter last year. As a group, sell-side analysts predict that Union Pacific Co. will post 11.11 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Union Pacific Increases Dividend

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, September 30th. Shareholders of record on Friday, August 30th will be paid a dividend of $1.34 per share. This is a boost from Union Pacific’s previous quarterly dividend of $1.30. The ex-dividend date is Friday, August 30th. This represents a $5.36 annualized dividend and a yield of 2.17%. Union Pacific’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 49.62%.

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.