Union Pacific Corporation $UNP Position Boosted by Prospera Financial Services Inc

Prospera Financial Services Inc increased its holdings in Union Pacific Corporation (NYSE:UNP) by 4.5% in the fourth quarter, HoldingsChannel.com reports. The institutional investor owned 69,446 shares of the railroad operator’s stock after purchasing an additional 2,976 shares during the quarter. Prospera Financial Services Inc’s holdings in Union Pacific were worth $16,069,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC).

A number of other institutional investors and hedge funds have also added to or reduced their stakes in UNP. Rachor Investment Advisory Services LLC bought a new position in Union Pacific in the 4th quarter worth approximately $25,000. Tucker Asset Management LLC bought a new position in Union Pacific in the 4th quarter worth approximately $25,000. High Point Wealth Management LLC bought a new position in Union Pacific in the 4th quarter worth approximately $26,000. Caitlin John LLC bought a new position in Union Pacific in the 3rd quarter worth approximately $27,000. Finally, Saranac Partners Ltd bought a new position in Union Pacific in the 3rd quarter worth approximately $27,000. 80.38% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

Insider Buying and Selling at Union Pacific

In other Union Pacific news, EVP Eric J. Gehringer sold 1,999 shares of the stock in a transaction on Friday, March 20th. The stock was sold at an average price of $234.93, for a total transaction of $469,625.07. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. Also, CFO Jennifer L. Hamann sold 2,000 shares of the stock in a transaction on Friday, April 24th. The shares were sold at an average price of $274.70, for a total value of $549,400.00. Following the sale, the chief financial officer owned 114,642 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $31,492,157.40. This trade represents a 1.71% decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. In the last ninety days, insiders sold 31,386 shares of company stock valued at $8,461,716. 0.22% of the stock is owned by corporate insiders.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

A number of brokerages recently issued reports on UNP. JPMorgan Chase & Co. increased their price objective on Union Pacific from $267.00 to $275.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a report on Friday, April 24th. BMO Capital Markets reissued a “market perform” rating and issued a $285.00 price objective (up from $278.00) on shares of Union Pacific in a report on Friday, April 24th. Robert W. Baird set a $311.00 price objective on Union Pacific and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a report on Friday, March 6th. Citigroup reissued a “buy” rating and issued a $307.00 price objective (up from $285.00) on shares of Union Pacific in a report on Friday, April 24th. Finally, UBS Group reaffirmed a “neutral” rating and set a $274.00 price target (up from $253.00) on shares of Union Pacific in a research note on Friday, April 24th. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, twelve have assigned a Buy rating and eight have issued a Hold rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the company has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $280.47.

Union Pacific Stock Performance

Shares of NYSE UNP opened at $265.65 on Friday. The stock has a fifty day moving average price of $253.79 and a two-hundred day moving average price of $243.82. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.53, a quick ratio of 0.73 and a current ratio of 0.92. The firm has a market cap of $157.72 billion, a P/E ratio of 21.88, a PEG ratio of 2.82 and a beta of 0.99. Union Pacific Corporation has a 1 year low of $210.84 and a 1 year high of $276.40.

Union Pacific (NYSE:UNP) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, April 23rd. The railroad operator reported $2.93 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $2.86 by $0.07. The firm had revenue of $6.22 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $6.12 billion. Union Pacific had a return on equity of 39.58% and a net margin of 29.20%.The firm’s quarterly revenue was up 3.2% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period last year, the company posted $2.70 EPS. Research analysts forecast that Union Pacific Corporation will post 12.53 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Union Pacific Dividend Announcement

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, June 30th. Shareholders of record on Friday, May 29th will be paid a dividend of $1.38 per share. This represents a $5.52 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 2.1%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, May 29th. Union Pacific’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 45.47%.

About Union Pacific

Union Pacific Corporation (NYSE: UNP) is one of the largest freight railroad companies in the United States. Its principal operating subsidiary, Union Pacific Railroad, has roots that trace back to the Pacific Railway Act of 1862 and the construction of the first transcontinental rail link completed in 1869. The company is headquartered in Omaha, Nebraska, and operates as a holding company for rail transportation and related services.

Union Pacific’s core business is the movement of freight by rail across an extensive rail network serving the western two‑thirds of the United States.