Sumitomo Mitsui Trust Holdings Inc. Cuts Stock Holdings in Union Pacific Co. (NYSE:UNP)

Sumitomo Mitsui Trust Holdings Inc. lowered its position in Union Pacific Co. (NYSE:UNP) by 2.5% in the 4th quarter, HoldingsChannel.com reports. The firm owned 1,455,726 shares of the railroad operator’s stock after selling 37,555 shares during the period. Sumitomo Mitsui Trust Holdings Inc.’s holdings in Union Pacific were worth $357,555,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Several other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also added to or reduced their stakes in UNP. BluePath Capital Management LLC purchased a new stake in Union Pacific in the third quarter worth $25,000. Valued Wealth Advisors LLC purchased a new stake in Union Pacific in the 4th quarter worth about $28,000. Coppell Advisory Solutions Corp. bought a new stake in Union Pacific in the 4th quarter valued at about $32,000. Tyler Stone Wealth Management bought a new position in Union Pacific during the second quarter worth about $33,000. Finally, IMA Wealth Inc. bought a new stake in shares of Union Pacific in the second quarter valued at approximately $37,000. 80.38% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

UNP has been the subject of several analyst reports. The Goldman Sachs Group raised their price objective on shares of Union Pacific from $248.00 to $274.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a report on Thursday. TD Cowen lifted their target price on Union Pacific from $228.00 to $251.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a report on Friday, January 26th. Stifel Nicolaus increased their price target on shares of Union Pacific from $231.00 to $248.00 and gave the stock a “hold” rating in a report on Friday. Jefferies Financial Group began coverage on shares of Union Pacific in a research note on Monday, April 8th. They set a “hold” rating and a $250.00 price objective for the company. Finally, Benchmark boosted their price target on shares of Union Pacific from $260.00 to $266.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research report on Wednesday. Eight equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, thirteen have given a buy rating and one has issued a strong buy rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat, Union Pacific has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $253.48.

Insider Activity at Union Pacific

In other Union Pacific news, President Elizabeth F. Whited sold 3,750 shares of Union Pacific stock in a transaction 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 transaction, the president now directly owns 56,682 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $14,170,500. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through the SEC website. 0.28% of the stock is currently owned by corporate insiders.

Union Pacific Stock Performance

UNP traded down $1.76 during mid-day trading on Friday, reaching $234.40. 2,594,970 shares of the company traded hands, compared to its average volume of 2,168,043. The company’s fifty day moving average price is $247.04 and its 200-day moving average price is $232.96. The stock has a market capitalization of $143.01 billion, a P/E ratio of 22.41, a P/E/G ratio of 2.54 and a beta of 1.07. The company has a quick ratio of 0.67, a current ratio of 0.81 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 2.11. 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 results on Thursday, January 25th. The railroad operator reported $2.71 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $2.56 by $0.15. Union Pacific had a return on equity of 46.87% and a net margin of 26.45%. The business had revenue of $6.16 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $6.05 billion. During the same quarter in the prior year, the business posted $2.67 EPS. Union Pacific’s revenue for the quarter was down .3% compared to the same quarter last year. On average, sell-side analysts expect that Union Pacific Co. will post 11 EPS for the current year.

Union Pacific Announces Dividend

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, March 29th. Investors of record on Thursday, February 29th were issued a $1.30 dividend. This represents a $5.20 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 2.22%. The ex-dividend date was Wednesday, February 28th. Union Pacific’s payout ratio is 49.71%.

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.