MML Investors Services LLC Boosts Stock Holdings in Union Pacific Corporation $UNP

MML Investors Services LLC raised its holdings in shares of Union Pacific Corporation (NYSE:UNP) by 1.6% during the fourth quarter, HoldingsChannel reports. The firm owned 182,965 shares of the railroad operator’s stock after purchasing an additional 2,958 shares during the period. MML Investors Services LLC’s holdings in Union Pacific were worth $42,323,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Other institutional investors have also modified their holdings of the company. Rachor Investment Advisory Services LLC bought a new stake in shares of Union Pacific in the 4th quarter valued at about $25,000. Tucker Asset Management LLC acquired a new stake in Union Pacific in the 4th quarter worth approximately $25,000. SWAN Capital LLC boosted its stake in Union Pacific by 2,575.0% in the 4th quarter. SWAN Capital LLC now owns 107 shares of the railroad operator’s stock worth $25,000 after purchasing an additional 103 shares in the last quarter. High Point Wealth Management LLC acquired a new stake in Union Pacific in the 4th quarter worth approximately $26,000. Finally, Caitlin John LLC acquired a new stake in Union Pacific in the 3rd quarter worth approximately $27,000. 80.38% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of analysts recently commented on UNP shares. Royal Bank Of Canada reiterated an “outperform” rating and issued a $289.00 target price (up from $273.00) on shares of Union Pacific in a research note on Friday, April 24th. Sanford C. Bernstein lifted their target price on shares of Union Pacific from $289.00 to $293.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a research note on Tuesday, March 31st. Citigroup reiterated a “buy” rating and issued a $307.00 target price (up from $285.00) on shares of Union Pacific in a research note on Friday, April 24th. Raymond James Financial set a $310.00 target price on shares of Union Pacific in a research note on Friday, April 24th. Finally, Barclays reiterated an “overweight” rating and issued a $315.00 target price (up from $285.00) on shares of Union Pacific in a research note on Friday, April 24th. One research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, twelve have issued a Buy rating and eight have given a Hold rating to the company’s stock. According to data from MarketBeat, Union Pacific has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $282.21.

Union Pacific Stock Performance

Shares of NYSE UNP opened at $267.54 on Tuesday. The company has a current ratio of 0.92, a quick ratio of 0.73 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.53. The stock has a market cap of $158.84 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 22.04, a PEG ratio of 2.89 and a beta of 0.97. The company has a 50 day simple moving average of $262.69 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $249.13. Union Pacific Corporation has a 12 month low of $210.84 and a 12 month high of $279.70.

Union Pacific (NYSE:UNP) last posted its earnings results on Thursday, April 23rd. The railroad operator reported $2.93 earnings per share for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate 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 net margin of 29.20% and a return on equity of 39.58%. The business’s quarterly revenue was up 3.2% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period in the previous year, the firm earned $2.70 EPS. As a group, analysts predict that Union Pacific Corporation will post 12.55 earnings per share for the current year.

Union Pacific Dividend Announcement

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

Insider Activity

In other news, EVP Eric J. Gehringer sold 2,991 shares of Union Pacific stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, June 3rd. The shares were sold at an average price of $263.96, for a total transaction of $789,504.36. Following the completion of the transaction, the executive vice president directly owned 43,012 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $11,353,447.52. The trade was a 6.50% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through the SEC website. Also, CFO Jennifer L. Hamann sold 2,000 shares of Union Pacific stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, April 24th. The shares were sold at an average price of $274.70, for a total transaction of $549,400.00. Following the transaction, the chief financial officer directly owned 114,642 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $31,492,157.40. This trade represents a 1.71% decrease in their ownership of the stock. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. Insiders sold a total of 34,377 shares of company stock valued at $9,251,221 in the last three months. 0.22% of the stock is currently owned by corporate insiders.

Union Pacific Company Profile

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.