NORTHSTAR ASSET MANAGEMENT Co LLC Lowers Stock Holdings in Union Pacific Co. (NYSE:UNP)

NORTHSTAR ASSET MANAGEMENT Co LLC decreased its position in shares of Union Pacific Co. (NYSE:UNP) by 2.7% during the second quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 13,313 shares of the railroad operator’s stock after selling 375 shares during the period. NORTHSTAR ASSET MANAGEMENT Co LLC’s holdings in Union Pacific were worth $3,012,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Other large investors have also added to or reduced their stakes in the company. OLD Point Trust & Financial Services N A bought a new position in shares of Union Pacific during the fourth quarter valued at about $25,000. Richardson Capital Management LLC bought a new position in shares of Union Pacific during the first quarter valued at about $26,000. Raleigh Capital Management Inc. grew its stake in shares of Union Pacific by 211.4% during the fourth quarter. Raleigh Capital Management Inc. now owns 109 shares of the railroad operator’s stock valued at $27,000 after buying an additional 74 shares during the last quarter. Scarborough Advisors LLC bought a new position in shares of Union Pacific during the fourth quarter valued at about $29,000. Finally, Tributary Capital Management LLC bought a new position in shares of Union Pacific during the first quarter valued at about $30,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 80.38% of the company’s stock.

Insider Activity

In related news, President Elizabeth F. Whited sold 3,552 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, July 30th. The shares were 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 in the company, valued at approximately $16,014,787.55. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available through this hyperlink. Company insiders own 0.28% of the company’s stock.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

A number of research analysts have recently issued reports on UNP shares. Barclays reduced their price objective on Union Pacific from $290.00 to $280.00 and set an “overweight” rating on the stock in a research note on Friday, July 26th. StockNews.com cut Union Pacific from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note on Tuesday, June 18th. Raymond James reissued a “strong-buy” rating and issued a $280.00 target price (up from $275.00) on shares of Union Pacific in a research note on Friday, April 26th. Loop Capital cut Union Pacific from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating and cut their target price for the stock from $276.00 to $238.00 in a research note on Monday, June 17th. Finally, TD Cowen cut their target price on Union Pacific from $259.00 to $255.00 and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a research note on Friday, July 26th. Seven research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, twelve have assigned a buy rating and one has given a strong buy rating to the company’s stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the stock presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $258.79.

Union Pacific Stock Up 0.3 %

Shares of UNP stock traded up $0.82 during trading hours on Friday, hitting $244.53. 1,951,386 shares of the company’s stock traded hands, compared to its average volume of 2,282,628. The stock’s fifty day simple moving average is $232.77 and its two-hundred day simple moving average is $239.06. Union Pacific Co. has a 12-month low of $199.33 and a 12-month high of $258.66. The stock has a market cap of $148.97 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 23.33, a PEG ratio of 2.13 and a beta of 1.06. The company has a quick ratio of 0.86, a current ratio of 1.05 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.89.

Union Pacific (NYSE:UNP) last released its earnings results on Thursday, July 25th. The railroad operator reported $2.74 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $2.71 by $0.03. Union Pacific had a net margin of 26.90% and a return on equity of 42.62%. The firm had revenue of $6.01 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $6.05 billion. During the same period last year, the business earned $2.57 earnings per share. The business’s revenue was up .7% on a year-over-year basis. On average, analysts expect that Union Pacific Co. will post 11.12 EPS for the current year.

Union Pacific Increases Dividend

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, September 30th. Stockholders of record on Friday, August 30th will be issued a dividend of $1.34 per share. This represents a $5.36 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 2.19%. This is a positive change from Union Pacific’s previous quarterly dividend of $1.30. The ex-dividend date is Friday, August 30th. Union Pacific’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 49.62%.

Union Pacific Company 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.