Saxon Interests Inc. Takes Position in Union Pacific Co. (NYSE:UNP)

Saxon Interests Inc. purchased a new stake in shares of Union Pacific Co. (NYSE:UNP) during the 4th quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The institutional investor purchased 2,324 shares of the railroad operator’s stock, valued at approximately $571,000.

Several other hedge funds have also modified their holdings of UNP. Valued Wealth Advisors LLC bought a new position in Union Pacific in the fourth quarter valued at approximately $28,000. BluePath Capital Management LLC bought a new position in Union Pacific in the third quarter valued at approximately $25,000. Power Corp of Canada bought a new position in Union Pacific in the first quarter valued at approximately $40,000. Coppell Advisory Solutions Corp. bought a new position in shares of Union Pacific during the fourth quarter worth $32,000. Finally, Tyler Stone Wealth Management bought a new position in shares of Union Pacific during the second quarter worth $33,000. 80.38% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other Union Pacific news, President Elizabeth F. Whited sold 3,750 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, February 15th. The shares were sold at an average price of $250.00, for a total value of $937,500.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the president now owns 56,682 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $14,170,500. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available through this link. Corporate insiders own 0.28% of the company’s stock.

Union Pacific Stock Performance

Shares of UNP traded up $1.30 during trading hours on Friday, hitting $245.93. The company’s stock had a trading volume of 2,265,924 shares, compared to its average volume of 2,337,197. The company has a market cap of $150.04 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 23.51, a PEG ratio of 2.66 and a beta of 1.07. 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 business has a 50 day simple moving average of $247.65 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $230.50. Union Pacific Co. has a 52-week low of $190.37 and a 52-week high of $258.66.

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

Union Pacific Dividend Announcement

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

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

A number of equities analysts have recently weighed in on the stock. Susquehanna lifted their price target on shares of Union Pacific from $245.00 to $255.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a research report on Thursday. StockNews.com lowered shares of Union Pacific from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note on Monday, March 18th. Royal Bank of Canada decreased their price objective on shares of Union Pacific from $282.00 to $272.00 and set an “outperform” rating for the company in a research report on Friday, January 26th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. decreased their price objective on shares of Union Pacific from $239.00 to $237.00 and set a “neutral” rating for the company in a research report on Friday, January 26th. Finally, Sanford C. Bernstein upgraded shares of Union Pacific from a “market perform” rating to an “outperform” rating and set a $280.00 price target on the stock in a research note on Monday, January 22nd. 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’s stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the stock has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $251.33.

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.