D.A. Davidson & CO. Reduces Stock Position in Union Pacific Co. (NYSE:UNP)

D.A. Davidson & CO. lowered its holdings in shares of Union Pacific Co. (NYSE:UNP) by 1.0% in the second quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The firm owned 163,609 shares of the railroad operator’s stock after selling 1,715 shares during the quarter. D.A. Davidson & CO.’s holdings in Union Pacific were worth $37,018,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Other large investors also recently bought and sold shares of the company. Allegheny Financial Group LTD lifted its holdings in shares of Union Pacific by 22.5% in the 4th quarter. Allegheny Financial Group LTD now owns 10,885 shares of the railroad operator’s stock worth $2,674,000 after buying an additional 2,000 shares during the period. BNP Paribas purchased a new stake in shares of Union Pacific in the 1st quarter worth $1,088,000. Stifel Financial Corp lifted its holdings in shares of Union Pacific by 10.8% in the 4th quarter. Stifel Financial Corp now owns 2,273,959 shares of the railroad operator’s stock worth $558,542,000 after buying an additional 222,318 shares during the period. Envestnet Portfolio Solutions Inc. lifted its holdings in shares of Union Pacific by 19.0% in the 1st quarter. Envestnet Portfolio Solutions Inc. now owns 126,369 shares of the railroad operator’s stock worth $31,078,000 after buying an additional 20,173 shares during the period. Finally, Cambridge Investment Research Advisors Inc. lifted its holdings in shares of Union Pacific by 5.7% in the 4th quarter. Cambridge Investment Research Advisors Inc. now owns 75,365 shares of the railroad operator’s stock worth $18,511,000 after buying an additional 4,089 shares during the period. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 80.38% of the company’s stock.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

UNP has been the subject of several research reports. StockNews.com cut Union Pacific from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a report on Tuesday, June 18th. Benchmark restated a “buy” rating and set a $266.00 price objective on shares of Union Pacific in a research note on Monday, July 29th. Barclays decreased their price objective on Union Pacific from $290.00 to $280.00 and set an “overweight” rating for the company in a research note on Friday, July 26th. Wells Fargo & Company began coverage on Union Pacific in a research note on Friday, June 7th. They set an “overweight” rating and a $270.00 price objective for the company. Finally, Susquehanna decreased their price objective on Union Pacific from $270.00 to $250.00 and set a “neutral” rating for the company in a research note on Tuesday, June 25th. Seven research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, twelve have issued a buy rating and one has issued a strong buy rating to the company. According to MarketBeat.com, Union Pacific presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $258.79.

Union Pacific Stock Performance

Union Pacific stock traded up $4.21 during midday trading on Friday, hitting $256.09. 2,386,564 shares of the company were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 1,903,351. The firm has a market capitalization of $156.01 billion, a PE ratio of 24.44, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.27 and a beta of 1.06. Union Pacific Co. has a fifty-two week low of $199.33 and a fifty-two week high of $258.66. The business has a fifty day simple moving average of $237.66 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $239.14. 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 earnings results on Thursday, July 25th. The railroad operator reported $2.74 EPS for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $2.71 by $0.03. The firm had revenue of $6.01 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $6.05 billion. Union Pacific had a return on equity of 42.62% and a net margin of 26.90%. Union Pacific’s revenue for the quarter was up .7% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period last year, the company earned $2.57 earnings per share. On average, sell-side analysts forecast that Union Pacific Co. will post 11.11 earnings per share for the current year.

Union Pacific Increases Dividend

The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, September 30th. Investors 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 yield of 2.09%. 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 49.62%.

Insider Buying and Selling

In other Union Pacific news, President Elizabeth F. Whited sold 3,552 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, July 30th. The stock was sold at an average price of $246.59, for a total transaction of $875,887.68. Following the transaction, the president now owns 64,945 shares in the company, valued at $16,014,787.55. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through the SEC website. 0.28% of the stock is owned by corporate insiders.

About Union Pacific

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.