EverSource Wealth Advisors LLC Grows Stock Holdings in Union Pacific Co. (NYSE:UNP)

EverSource Wealth Advisors LLC increased its stake in shares of Union Pacific Co. (NYSE:UNP) by 73.2% in the 1st quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The fund owned 4,064 shares of the railroad operator’s stock after purchasing an additional 1,718 shares during the period. EverSource Wealth Advisors LLC’s holdings in Union Pacific were worth $964,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission.

Several other hedge funds have also recently made changes to their positions in the stock. Motiv8 Investments LLC raised its holdings in shares of Union Pacific by 24.6% during the first quarter. Motiv8 Investments LLC now owns 2,530 shares of the railroad operator’s stock valued at $622,000 after purchasing an additional 500 shares during the last quarter. Pathway Financial Advisers LLC purchased a new stake in Union Pacific during the first quarter valued at approximately $1,389,000. Alexander Labrunerie & CO. Inc. purchased a new stake in Union Pacific during the first quarter valued at approximately $377,000. Cetera Advisors LLC increased its holdings in Union Pacific by 61.2% during the first quarter. Cetera Advisors LLC now owns 51,603 shares of the railroad operator’s stock valued at $12,691,000 after buying an additional 19,595 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Cetera Investment Advisers increased its holdings in Union Pacific by 402.2% during the first quarter. Cetera Investment Advisers now owns 190,508 shares of the railroad operator’s stock valued at $46,852,000 after buying an additional 152,571 shares during the last quarter. 80.38% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Union Pacific Trading Down 1.8 %

Shares of UNP traded down $4.50 during midday trading on Friday, hitting $239.97. The stock had a trading volume of 2,114,653 shares, compared to its average volume of 2,386,958. Union Pacific Co. has a 1 year low of $199.33 and a 1 year high of $258.66. The firm has a market cap of $146.19 billion, a PE ratio of 22.90, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.16 and a beta of 1.06. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.89, a current ratio of 1.05 and a quick ratio of 0.86. The stock’s 50 day moving average is $230.71 and its 200 day moving average is $239.22.

Union Pacific (NYSE:UNP) last announced its earnings results on Thursday, July 25th. The railroad operator reported $2.74 earnings per share for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $2.71 by $0.03. The business had revenue of $6.01 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $6.05 billion. Union Pacific had a net margin of 26.90% and a return on equity of 42.62%. The business’s revenue for the quarter was up .7% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter in the prior year, the firm posted $2.57 earnings per share. As a group, analysts forecast that Union Pacific Co. will post 11.12 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Union Pacific Increases Dividend

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, September 30th. Investors of record on Friday, August 30th will be paid a $1.34 dividend. This represents a $5.36 annualized dividend and a yield of 2.23%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, August 30th. This is an increase from Union Pacific’s previous quarterly dividend of $1.30. Union Pacific’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 49.62%.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

A number of analysts have commented on the stock. Benchmark reaffirmed a “buy” rating and set a $266.00 target price on shares of Union Pacific in a report on Monday, July 29th. Loop Capital cut shares of Union Pacific from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating and reduced their target price for the company from $276.00 to $238.00 in a report on Monday, June 17th. StockNews.com lowered shares of Union Pacific from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research report on Tuesday, June 18th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. upped their price target on shares of Union Pacific from $237.00 to $243.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a research report on Tuesday, April 9th. Finally, TD Cowen dropped their price target on shares of Union Pacific from $259.00 to $255.00 and set a “buy” rating for the company in a research report on Friday, July 26th. Seven research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, twelve have assigned a buy rating and one has issued a strong buy rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat, the stock has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $258.79.

Insider Buying and Selling

In other Union Pacific news, President Elizabeth F. Whited sold 3,552 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, July 30th. The shares were sold at an average price of $246.59, for a total transaction of $875,887.68. Following the transaction, the president now directly owns 64,945 shares in the company, valued at approximately $16,014,787.55. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. In other Union Pacific news, President Elizabeth F. Whited sold 3,552 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, July 30th. The shares were sold at an average price of $246.59, for a total transaction of $875,887.68. Following the completion of the transaction, the president now directly owns 64,945 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $16,014,787.55. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this link. Also, insider Whited Elizabeth 3,553 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction on Tuesday, July 30th. The disclosure for this trade can be found here. 0.28% of the stock is currently owned by insiders.

About Union Pacific

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.