Johnson Investment Counsel Inc. Buys 396 Shares of Union Pacific Co. (NYSE:UNP)

Johnson Investment Counsel Inc. raised its stake in Union Pacific Co. (NYSE:UNP) by 0.8% during the second quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The firm owned 50,649 shares of the railroad operator’s stock after acquiring an additional 396 shares during the period. Johnson Investment Counsel Inc.’s holdings in Union Pacific were worth $11,460,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Several other hedge funds have also recently bought and sold shares of the stock. Qsemble Capital Management LP grew its holdings in shares of Union Pacific by 169.8% in the 2nd quarter. Qsemble Capital Management LP now owns 22,009 shares of the railroad operator’s stock worth $4,980,000 after purchasing an additional 13,852 shares during the last quarter. American Century Companies Inc. boosted its position in Union Pacific by 6.4% in the second quarter. American Century Companies Inc. now owns 1,186,777 shares of the railroad operator’s stock valued at $268,520,000 after buying an additional 71,019 shares in the last quarter. Linscomb Wealth Inc. grew its stake in Union Pacific by 2.1% during the second quarter. Linscomb Wealth Inc. now owns 16,582 shares of the railroad operator’s stock worth $3,752,000 after buying an additional 346 shares during the last quarter. Bahl & Gaynor Inc. increased its holdings in shares of Union Pacific by 0.3% during the second quarter. Bahl & Gaynor Inc. now owns 154,723 shares of the railroad operator’s stock worth $35,008,000 after buying an additional 412 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Hazlett Burt & Watson Inc. raised its stake in shares of Union Pacific by 99.6% in the second quarter. Hazlett Burt & Watson Inc. now owns 8,360 shares of the railroad operator’s stock valued at $1,893,000 after acquiring an additional 4,171 shares during the last quarter. 80.38% of the stock is currently 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 business’s stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, July 30th. The stock was sold at an average price of $246.59, for a total value of $875,887.68. Following the completion of the transaction, the president now directly owns 64,945 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $16,014,787.55. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. 0.28% of the stock is owned by corporate insiders.

Union Pacific Trading Down 2.0 %

NYSE UNP opened at $247.47 on Thursday. The company has a current ratio of 1.05, a quick ratio of 0.86 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.89. Union Pacific Co. has a 12 month low of $199.33 and a 12 month high of $258.66. The company has a market capitalization of $150.99 billion, a PE ratio of 23.61, a P/E/G ratio of 2.21 and a beta of 1.05. The stock has a 50-day simple moving average of $242.06 and a 200 day simple moving average of $239.24.

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 analysts’ consensus estimates of $2.71 by $0.03. The business had revenue of $6.01 billion for 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%. Union Pacific’s revenue for the quarter was up .7% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period last year, the company posted $2.57 EPS. Research analysts forecast that Union Pacific Co. will post 11.11 EPS for the current year.

Union Pacific Increases Dividend

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, September 30th. Stockholders of record on Friday, August 30th will be issued a $1.34 dividend. This is a positive change from Union Pacific’s previous quarterly dividend of $1.30. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, August 30th. This represents a $5.36 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 2.17%. Union Pacific’s payout ratio is 51.15%.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

A number of research firms recently commented on UNP. Benchmark restated a “buy” rating and set a $266.00 price target on shares of Union Pacific in a research report on Monday, July 29th. Susquehanna decreased their target price on Union Pacific from $270.00 to $250.00 and set a “neutral” rating on the stock in a report on Tuesday, June 25th. Daiwa America cut Union Pacific from a “moderate buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a report on Wednesday, September 4th. Royal Bank of Canada decreased their price objective on shares of Union Pacific from $281.00 to $275.00 and set an “outperform” rating on the stock in a report on Friday, July 26th. Finally, StockNews.com downgraded shares of Union Pacific from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note on Tuesday, June 18th. Eight 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 stock has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $258.79.

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.