Toth Financial Advisory Corp Purchases 5,055 Shares of Union Pacific Corporation $UNP

Toth Financial Advisory Corp increased its position in shares of Union Pacific Corporation (NYSE:UNP) by 19.4% in the second quarter, Holdings Channel.com reports. The firm owned 31,097 shares of the railroad operator’s stock after purchasing an additional 5,055 shares during the quarter. Toth Financial Advisory Corp’s holdings in Union Pacific were worth $8,458,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Several other hedge funds also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Tucker Asset Management LLC bought a new stake in Union Pacific in the fourth quarter worth about $25,000. SWAN Capital LLC grew its stake in shares of Union Pacific by 2,575.0% during the fourth quarter. SWAN Capital LLC now owns 107 shares of the railroad operator’s stock valued at $25,000 after buying an additional 103 shares during the last quarter. Wiser Advisor Group LLC bought a new position in shares of Union Pacific during the second quarter valued at approximately $30,000. Scarborough Advisors LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Union Pacific in the first quarter worth approximately $27,000. Finally, Cornerstone Financial Management LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Union Pacific in the fourth quarter worth approximately $27,000. 80.38% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

Key Stories Impacting Union Pacific

Here are the key news stories impacting Union Pacific this week:

• Positive Sentiment: New analyst coverage adds support: Erste Group Bank AG initiated coverage of Union Pacific with a “buy” rating, signaling confidence in the railroad’s valuation and outlook. Erste Group Bank coverage
• Positive Sentiment: Dividend and earnings backdrop remains favorable: Union Pacific is being highlighted as a dividend-growth railroad, and recent quarterly results showed earnings and revenue above analyst expectations, with revenue up year over year. These factors reinforce the company’s appeal to income and quality-focused investors. Dividend-paying railroad stocks
• Neutral Sentiment: Merger application advances: Union Pacific and Norfolk Southern submitted expanded customer protections to the Surface Transportation Board, including broader eligibility for committed gateway pricing. The proposed terms could improve the prospects for approval of the first single-line transcontinental railroad network, although the transaction remains subject to a lengthy regulatory review. Union Pacific and Norfolk Southern merger protections
• Neutral Sentiment: Management will address investors: CEO Jim Vena and CFO Jennifer Hamann are scheduled to participate in a Bernstein Research fireside chat on September 1. Investors may look for updates on merger strategy, rail efficiency and operating trends. Union Pacific Bernstein fireside chat
• Negative Sentiment: Regulatory and efficiency risks remain: The companies continue defending the merger against opponents’ challenges, while new analysis describes Union Pacific as facing a fresh test of rail efficiency. Any tougher STB scrutiny or evidence of operational weaknesses could temper merger-driven optimism. Merger application regulatory review

Insider Transactions at Union Pacific

In other Union Pacific news, EVP Eric J. Gehringer sold 2,991 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, June 3rd. The shares were sold at an average price of $263.96, for a total transaction of $789,504.36. Following the transaction, the executive vice president directly owned 43,012 shares in the company, valued at $11,353,447.52. This represents a 6.50% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at the SEC website. 0.22% of the stock is currently owned by insiders.

Union Pacific Trading Up 0.0%

Shares of NYSE UNP opened at $307.82 on Friday. The company has a quick ratio of 0.82, a current ratio of 0.99 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.40. The business has a fifty day simple moving average of $291.07 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $269.81. The firm has a market cap of $182.87 billion, a PE ratio of 24.92, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 3.12 and a beta of 0.96. Union Pacific Corporation has a twelve month low of $210.84 and a twelve month high of $315.99.

Union Pacific (NYSE:UNP) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, July 23rd. The railroad operator reported $3.41 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $3.26 by $0.15. Union Pacific had a return on equity of 38.46% and a net margin of 28.85%.The business had revenue of $6.86 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $6.72 billion. During the same quarter in the prior year, the company earned $3.03 EPS. The business’s revenue was up 11.5% compared to the same quarter last year. Analysts expect that Union Pacific Corporation will post 13.01 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Union Pacific Increases Dividend

The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, September 30th. Investors of record on Monday, August 31st will be paid a $1.42 dividend. This represents a $5.68 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 1.8%. This is a boost from Union Pacific’s previous quarterly dividend of $1.38. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Monday, August 31st. Union Pacific’s payout ratio is currently 44.70%.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

A number of equities research analysts recently issued reports on UNP shares. Weiss Ratings raised Union Pacific from a “buy (b-)” rating to a “buy (b)” rating in a research note on Friday, July 24th. Susquehanna lifted their target price on Union Pacific from $305.00 to $333.00 and gave the stock a “positive” rating in a research report on Tuesday, July 14th. Citigroup boosted their target price on shares of Union Pacific from $326.00 to $349.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research note on Friday, July 24th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. upped their price target on shares of Union Pacific from $304.00 to $334.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a report on Friday, July 24th. Finally, Benchmark lifted their price objective on shares of Union Pacific from $325.00 to $335.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a report on Friday, July 24th. Two equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, fourteen have given a Buy rating and six have given a Hold rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat, the stock has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $320.89.

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.