SNS Financial Group LLC Lowers Holdings in Union Pacific Co. (NYSE:UNP)

SNS Financial Group LLC lowered its position in Union Pacific Co. (NYSE:UNP) by 4.9% in the fourth quarter, HoldingsChannel reports. The fund owned 8,976 shares of the railroad operator’s stock after selling 464 shares during the quarter. SNS Financial Group LLC’s holdings in Union Pacific were worth $2,047,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

A number of other hedge funds also recently bought and sold shares of UNP. Vontobel Holding Ltd. increased its holdings in shares of Union Pacific by 74.7% in the 4th quarter. Vontobel Holding Ltd. now owns 2,146,990 shares of the railroad operator’s stock valued at $489,600,000 after acquiring an additional 918,248 shares during the last quarter. International Assets Investment Management LLC raised its holdings in shares of Union Pacific by 19,878.6% in the third quarter. International Assets Investment Management LLC now owns 896,040 shares of the railroad operator’s stock valued at $220,856,000 after buying an additional 891,555 shares during the last quarter. Franklin Resources Inc. lifted its position in Union Pacific by 9.3% during the 3rd quarter. Franklin Resources Inc. now owns 7,322,450 shares of the railroad operator’s stock worth $1,795,993,000 after acquiring an additional 625,492 shares during the period. Impax Asset Management Group plc lifted its holdings in shares of Union Pacific by 2,025.4% during the third quarter. Impax Asset Management Group plc now owns 546,236 shares of the railroad operator’s stock worth $134,636,000 after purchasing an additional 520,536 shares during the period. Finally, Jennison Associates LLC increased its stake in shares of Union Pacific by 170.9% during the third quarter. Jennison Associates LLC now owns 736,246 shares of the railroad operator’s stock worth $181,470,000 after acquiring an additional 464,477 shares during the period. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 80.38% of the company’s stock.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

UNP has been the topic of a number of recent analyst reports. JPMorgan Chase & Co. lowered their price target on shares of Union Pacific from $263.00 to $252.00 and set a “neutral” rating on the stock in a research note on Friday, October 25th. TD Cowen boosted their price target on Union Pacific from $245.00 to $258.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a report on Friday, January 24th. Susquehanna decreased their target price on shares of Union Pacific from $260.00 to $255.00 and set a “neutral” rating on the stock in a research report on Friday, October 25th. Loop Capital cut Union Pacific from a “hold” rating to a “sell” rating and lowered their price target for the company from $265.00 to $200.00 in a report on Monday, February 3rd. Finally, Royal Bank of Canada dropped their price objective on Union Pacific from $288.00 to $283.00 and set an “outperform” rating for the company in a report on Friday, October 25th. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, seven have assigned a hold rating, twelve have assigned a buy rating and one has given a strong buy rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat, Union Pacific has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $261.40.

Insider Activity

In other Union Pacific news, EVP Craig V. Richardson sold 6,495 shares of Union Pacific stock in a transaction on Monday, January 27th. The shares were sold at an average price of $252.00, for a total value of $1,636,740.00. Following the sale, the executive vice president now directly owns 26,319 shares in the company, valued at approximately $6,632,388. The trade was a 19.79 % decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this link. Also, President Elizabeth F. Whited sold 7,500 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Friday, January 24th. The stock was sold at an average price of $250.00, for a total transaction of $1,875,000.00. Following the transaction, the president now owns 64,960 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $16,240,000. This represents a 10.35 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Corporate insiders own 0.28% of the company’s stock.

Union Pacific Trading Down 1.7 %

UNP opened at $247.02 on Thursday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.76, a quick ratio of 0.62 and a current ratio of 0.77. Union Pacific Co. has a twelve month low of $218.55 and a twelve month high of $258.66. The firm’s fifty day moving average is $237.20 and its two-hundred day moving average is $240.57. The firm has a market cap of $149.27 billion, a PE ratio of 22.27, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.18 and a beta of 1.06.

Union Pacific (NYSE:UNP) last posted its earnings results on Thursday, January 23rd. The railroad operator reported $2.91 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $2.76 by $0.15. Union Pacific had a return on equity of 41.12% and a net margin of 27.82%. During the same quarter in the previous year, the business posted $2.71 earnings per share. Equities research analysts anticipate that Union Pacific Co. will post 11.99 EPS for the current year.

Union Pacific Announces Dividend

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, March 31st. Shareholders of record on Friday, February 28th will be paid a $1.34 dividend. This represents a $5.36 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 2.17%. The ex-dividend date is Friday, February 28th. Union Pacific’s dividend payout ratio is 48.33%.

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.