Optimum Investment Advisors Sells 500 Shares of Union Pacific Co. (NYSE:UNP)

Optimum Investment Advisors lessened its holdings in Union Pacific Co. (NYSE:UNP) by 10.9% during the third quarter, according to the company in its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The fund owned 4,072 shares of the railroad operator’s stock after selling 500 shares during the period. Optimum Investment Advisors’ holdings in Union Pacific were worth $1,004,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also recently bought and sold shares of the company. Richardson Capital Management LLC bought a new position in Union Pacific in the first quarter valued at about $26,000. Cultivar Capital Inc. acquired a new position in shares of Union Pacific in the second quarter valued at approximately $27,000. Strategic Investment Solutions Inc. IL acquired a new position in shares of Union Pacific in the second quarter valued at approximately $28,000. Tributary Capital Management LLC acquired a new position in shares of Union Pacific in the first quarter valued at approximately $30,000. Finally, Financial Gravity Asset Management Inc. increased its stake in shares of Union Pacific by 3,250.0% in the second quarter. Financial Gravity Asset Management Inc. now owns 134 shares of the railroad operator’s stock valued at $30,000 after buying an additional 130 shares during the period. Institutional investors own 80.38% of the company’s stock.

Insider Buying and Selling

In related news, President Elizabeth F. Whited sold 3,552 shares of the stock in a transaction on Tuesday, July 30th. The stock was sold at an average price of $246.59, for a total value of $875,887.68. Following the transaction, the president now directly owns 64,945 shares in the company, valued at $16,014,787.55. This trade represents a 0.00 % decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at this link. 0.26% of the stock is owned by company insiders.

Union Pacific Price Performance

Union Pacific stock opened at $241.71 on Friday. The stock has a market capitalization of $147.25 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 22.70, a PEG ratio of 2.27 and a beta of 1.05. Union Pacific Co. has a 52-week low of $199.97 and a 52-week high of $258.66. The stock’s 50 day moving average price is $246.28 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $238.63. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.89, a quick ratio of 0.86 and a current ratio of 1.05.

Union Pacific (NYSE:UNP) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, July 25th. The railroad operator reported $2.74 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $2.71 by $0.03. The firm had revenue of $6.01 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $6.05 billion. Union Pacific had a return on equity of 42.62% and a net margin of 26.90%. The company’s revenue for the quarter was up .7% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period in the prior year, the business earned $2.57 EPS. On average, equities analysts predict that Union Pacific Co. will post 11.07 earnings per share for the current year.

Analyst Ratings Changes

UNP has been the subject of several recent research reports. Bank of America lowered their price objective on Union Pacific from $273.00 to $270.00 and set a “buy” rating for the company in a research note on Tuesday, September 24th. Stifel Nicolaus lowered their price objective on Union Pacific from $267.00 to $265.00 and set a “buy” rating for the company in a research note on Wednesday, July 17th. Citigroup initiated coverage on Union Pacific in a research note on Wednesday, October 9th. They issued a “neutral” rating and a $264.00 price objective for the company. Evercore ISI downgraded Union Pacific from an “outperform” rating to an “inline” rating and lowered their price objective for the company from $254.00 to $247.00 in a research note on Wednesday, September 25th. Finally, TD Cowen lowered their price objective on Union Pacific from $259.00 to $255.00 and set a “buy” rating for the company in a research note on Friday, July 26th. Nine equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, eleven have issued a buy rating and one has issued a strong buy rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat, the stock presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $259.25.

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.