Millstone Evans Group LLC Purchases New Holdings in Union Pacific Co. (NYSE:UNP)

Millstone Evans Group LLC purchased a new stake in Union Pacific Co. (NYSE:UNP) in the fourth quarter, according to the company in its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The institutional investor purchased 1,758 shares of the railroad operator’s stock, valued at approximately $401,000.

A number of other institutional investors and hedge funds have also recently bought and sold shares of the business. Summit Global Investments grew its position in shares of Union Pacific by 14.1% in the 4th quarter. Summit Global Investments now owns 50,967 shares of the railroad operator’s stock worth $11,622,000 after acquiring an additional 6,295 shares in the last quarter. Washington Trust Bank grew its position in shares of Union Pacific by 2.6% in the 4th quarter. Washington Trust Bank now owns 4,460 shares of the railroad operator’s stock worth $1,017,000 after acquiring an additional 112 shares in the last quarter. TD Private Client Wealth LLC grew its position in shares of Union Pacific by 13.8% in the 4th quarter. TD Private Client Wealth LLC now owns 22,344 shares of the railroad operator’s stock worth $5,095,000 after acquiring an additional 2,702 shares in the last quarter. Lee Danner & Bass Inc. grew its position in shares of Union Pacific by 5.0% in the 4th quarter. Lee Danner & Bass Inc. now owns 1,029 shares of the railroad operator’s stock worth $235,000 after acquiring an additional 49 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Semanteon Capital Management LP grew its position in shares of Union Pacific by 275.5% in the 4th quarter. Semanteon Capital Management LP now owns 6,233 shares of the railroad operator’s stock worth $1,421,000 after acquiring an additional 4,573 shares in the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 80.38% of the company’s stock.

Insider Buying and Selling at Union Pacific

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

Union Pacific Stock Performance

Shares of NYSE UNP opened at $233.79 on Friday. The company has a quick ratio of 0.62, a current ratio of 0.77 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.76. The stock has a market capitalization of $141.28 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 21.08, a PEG ratio of 2.15 and a beta of 1.05. The stock’s fifty day simple moving average is $242.68 and its 200 day simple moving average is $240.16. Union Pacific Co. has a 52-week low of $218.55 and a 52-week high of $258.07.

Union Pacific (NYSE:UNP) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, January 23rd. The railroad operator reported $2.91 earnings per share for the quarter, beating 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 prior year, the business earned $2.71 EPS. As a group, sell-side analysts forecast that Union Pacific Co. will post 11.99 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Union Pacific Dividend Announcement

The company also recently announced 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. The ex-dividend date is Friday, February 28th. This represents a $5.36 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 2.29%. Union Pacific’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 48.33%.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

Several research analysts have recently commented on UNP shares. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft started coverage on Union Pacific in a research report on Friday, March 7th. They issued a “buy” rating and a $295.00 target price for the company. Loop Capital lowered Union Pacific from a “hold” rating to a “sell” rating and reduced their price objective for the company from $265.00 to $200.00 in a research report on Monday, February 3rd. Stifel Nicolaus boosted their price objective on Union Pacific from $253.00 to $270.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research report on Friday, January 24th. Raymond James restated a “strong-buy” rating and set a $285.00 price objective (up previously from $265.00) on shares of Union Pacific in a research report on Friday, January 24th. Finally, Guggenheim boosted their price objective on Union Pacific from $266.00 to $275.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research report on Friday, January 24th. One research analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, seven have given a hold rating, thirteen have issued a buy rating and one has issued a strong buy rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat, Union Pacific has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $263.00.

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.