Moors & Cabot Inc. Acquires 437 Shares of Union Pacific Co. (NYSE:UNP)

Moors & Cabot Inc. lifted its holdings in Union Pacific Co. (NYSE:UNP) by 1.7% during the fourth quarter, HoldingsChannel reports. The firm owned 25,751 shares of the railroad operator’s stock after purchasing an additional 437 shares during the period. Moors & Cabot Inc.’s holdings in Union Pacific were worth $5,872,000 as of its most recent filing with the SEC.

A number of other institutional investors have also made changes to their positions in UNP. Raymond James Financial Inc. bought a new position in shares of Union Pacific in the fourth quarter worth about $1,035,905,000. Vontobel Holding Ltd. increased its stake in shares of Union Pacific by 74.7% in the fourth quarter. Vontobel Holding Ltd. now owns 2,146,990 shares of the railroad operator’s stock worth $489,600,000 after purchasing an additional 918,248 shares during the period. Franklin Resources Inc. increased its stake in shares of Union Pacific by 9.3% in the third quarter. Franklin Resources Inc. now owns 7,322,450 shares of the railroad operator’s stock worth $1,795,993,000 after purchasing an additional 625,492 shares during the period. Impax Asset Management Group plc increased its stake in shares of Union Pacific by 2,025.4% in 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, Proficio Capital Partners LLC increased its stake in shares of Union Pacific by 33,228.4% in the fourth quarter. Proficio Capital Partners LLC now owns 504,258 shares of the railroad operator’s stock worth $114,991,000 after purchasing an additional 502,745 shares during the period. 80.38% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

Several equities analysts recently issued reports on UNP shares. Loop Capital lowered 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 research note on Monday, February 3rd. Barclays boosted their price target on Union Pacific from $275.00 to $285.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a research note on Wednesday, November 13th. TD Cowen boosted their price target on Union Pacific from $245.00 to $258.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research note on Friday, January 24th. Wells Fargo & Company lowered their price target on Union Pacific from $267.00 to $265.00 and set an “overweight” rating on the stock in a research note on Tuesday, January 7th. Finally, BMO Capital Markets boosted their price target on Union Pacific from $275.00 to $277.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a research note on Friday, January 24th. One analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, seven have issued a hold rating, thirteen have issued a buy rating and one has issued a strong buy rating to the company’s stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $263.00.

Insider Buying and Selling at Union Pacific

In other Union Pacific news, EVP Craig V. Richardson sold 6,495 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction on Monday, January 27th. The shares were sold at an average price of $252.00, for a total transaction of $1,636,740.00. Following the completion of the sale, the executive vice president now 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 legal filing with the SEC, which is accessible through this hyperlink. Also, President Elizabeth F. Whited sold 7,500 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction on Friday, January 24th. The shares were sold at an average price of $250.00, for a total transaction of $1,875,000.00. Following the sale, the president now owns 64,960 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $16,240,000. The trade was a 10.35 % decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Corporate insiders own 0.26% of the company’s stock.

Union Pacific Stock Down 4.3 %

NYSE:UNP opened at $237.72 on Wednesday. The stock’s fifty day moving average price is $241.63 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $240.91. Union Pacific Co. has a 52-week low of $218.55 and a 52-week high of $258.07. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.76, a quick ratio of 0.62 and a current ratio of 0.77. The company has a market cap of $143.65 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 21.44, a P/E/G ratio of 2.15 and a beta of 1.05.

Union Pacific (NYSE:UNP) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, January 23rd. The railroad operator reported $2.91 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate 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 prior year, the business posted $2.71 EPS. On average, analysts anticipate that Union Pacific Co. will post 11.99 EPS for the current year.

Union Pacific Announces Dividend

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, March 31st. Shareholders of record on Friday, February 28th will be issued a dividend of $1.34 per share. This represents a $5.36 annualized dividend and a yield of 2.25%. The ex-dividend date is Friday, February 28th. Union Pacific’s dividend payout ratio is 48.33%.

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.