Union Pacific Co. (NYSE:UNP) Position Raised by Ritholtz Wealth Management

Ritholtz Wealth Management raised its stake in Union Pacific Co. (NYSE:UNP) by 2.8% during the fourth quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the SEC. The fund owned 22,064 shares of the railroad operator’s stock after buying an additional 608 shares during the quarter. Ritholtz Wealth Management’s holdings in Union Pacific were worth $5,419,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

A number of other hedge funds also recently added to or reduced their stakes in UNP. BluePath Capital Management LLC bought a new stake in Union Pacific in the third quarter valued at $25,000. Valued Wealth Advisors LLC acquired a new position in shares of Union Pacific during the fourth quarter valued at $28,000. Coppell Advisory Solutions Corp. acquired a new position in shares of Union Pacific during the fourth quarter valued at $32,000. Tyler Stone Wealth Management acquired a new position in shares of Union Pacific during the second quarter valued at $33,000. Finally, IMA Wealth Inc. acquired a new position in shares of Union Pacific during the second quarter valued at $37,000. 80.38% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

Union Pacific Stock Up 0.5 %

Shares of Union Pacific stock opened at $245.93 on Friday. Union Pacific Co. has a 52-week low of $190.37 and a 52-week high of $258.66. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 2.11, a current ratio of 0.81 and a quick ratio of 0.67. The firm has a market cap of $150.04 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 23.51, a P/E/G ratio of 2.66 and a beta of 1.07. The stock has a 50-day simple moving average of $247.65 and a 200-day simple moving average of $230.50.

Union Pacific (NYSE:UNP) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, January 25th. The railroad operator reported $2.71 EPS for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $2.56 by $0.15. The firm had revenue of $6.16 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $6.05 billion. Union Pacific had a return on equity of 46.87% and a net margin of 26.45%. The company’s revenue for the quarter was down .3% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter in the prior year, the firm posted $2.67 EPS. On average, equities research analysts expect that Union Pacific Co. will post 10.94 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Union Pacific Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, March 29th. Stockholders of record on Thursday, February 29th will be paid a $1.30 dividend. This represents a $5.20 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 2.11%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Wednesday, February 28th. Union Pacific’s dividend payout ratio is 49.71%.

Analyst Ratings Changes

A number of research analysts have recently commented on UNP shares. TD Cowen raised their price target on Union Pacific from $228.00 to $251.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a report on Friday, January 26th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. lowered their target price on Union Pacific from $239.00 to $237.00 and set a “neutral” rating on the stock in a report on Friday, January 26th. StockNews.com lowered Union Pacific from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a report on Monday, March 18th. UBS Group lifted their target price on Union Pacific from $235.00 to $248.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a report on Friday, January 26th. Finally, Raymond James lifted their target price on Union Pacific from $240.00 to $275.00 and gave the stock a “strong-buy” rating in a report on Tuesday, January 16th. Seven equities research 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. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $251.33.

Insider Activity

In other Union Pacific news, President Elizabeth F. Whited sold 3,750 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction dated Thursday, February 15th. The shares were sold at an average price of $250.00, for a total transaction of $937,500.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the president now owns 56,682 shares in the company, valued at $14,170,500. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through the SEC website. 0.28% of the stock is owned by company insiders.

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.