Haverford Trust Co Makes New Investment in Union Pacific Corporation $UNP

Haverford Trust Co purchased a new stake in shares of Union Pacific Corporation (NYSE:UNP) in the 2nd quarter, according to the company in its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The fund purchased 69,240 shares of the railroad operator’s stock, valued at approximately $18,833,000.

Other large investors have also modified their holdings of the company. Tucker Asset Management LLC acquired a new position in Union Pacific during the 4th quarter valued at about $25,000. SWAN Capital LLC increased its stake in shares of Union Pacific by 2,575.0% in the fourth quarter. SWAN Capital LLC now owns 107 shares of the railroad operator’s stock valued at $25,000 after purchasing an additional 103 shares during the period. Rachor Investment Advisory Services LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Union Pacific in the fourth quarter valued at approximately $25,000. High Point Wealth Management LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Union Pacific in the fourth quarter valued at approximately $26,000. Finally, Scarborough Advisors LLC bought a new stake in shares of Union Pacific during the first quarter valued at approximately $27,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 80.38% of the company’s stock.

Union Pacific Price Performance

NYSE UNP opened at $307.97 on Friday. Union Pacific Corporation has a 12 month low of $210.84 and a 12 month high of $315.99. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.40, a current ratio of 0.99 and a quick ratio of 0.82. The firm has a market capitalization of $182.96 billion, a PE ratio of 24.94, a P/E/G ratio of 3.14 and a beta of 0.96. The company’s 50 day simple moving average is $286.30 and its 200 day simple moving average is $267.60.

Union Pacific (NYSE:UNP) last released its earnings results on Thursday, July 23rd. The railroad operator reported $3.41 earnings per share for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $3.26 by $0.15. The firm had revenue of $6.86 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $6.72 billion. Union Pacific had a return on equity of 38.46% and a net margin of 28.85%.The firm’s revenue for the quarter was up 11.5% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period in the prior year, the firm posted $3.03 earnings per share. As a group, equities research analysts forecast that Union Pacific Corporation will post 12.93 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Union Pacific Increases Dividend

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, September 30th. Stockholders of record on Monday, August 31st will be paid a $1.42 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Monday, August 31st. This represents a $5.68 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 1.8%. This is a boost from Union Pacific’s previous quarterly dividend of $1.38. Union Pacific’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 44.70%.

Insider Buying and Selling at Union Pacific

In other news, EVP Eric J. Gehringer sold 2,991 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction on Wednesday, June 3rd. The stock was sold at an average price of $263.96, for a total value of $789,504.36. Following the completion of the sale, the executive vice president owned 43,012 shares in the company, valued at $11,353,447.52. This represents a 6.50% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available through this link. 0.22% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

A number of equities analysts recently issued reports on the company. TD Cowen reissued a “buy” rating and issued a $325.00 price objective (up from $282.00) on shares of Union Pacific in a report on Friday, July 24th. Weiss Ratings raised Union Pacific from a “buy (b-)” rating to a “buy (b)” rating in a research note on Friday, July 24th. Stephens upgraded Union Pacific to a “strong-buy” rating in a research report on Wednesday, July 8th. Raymond James Financial reissued a “strong-buy” rating on shares of Union Pacific in a research note on Monday, July 13th. Finally, BMO Capital Markets reissued a “market perform” rating and set a $320.00 price target (up from $285.00) on shares of Union Pacific in a report on Friday, July 24th. Two equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, thirteen have issued a Buy rating and six have assigned a Hold rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $320.89.

Union Pacific Company Profile

Union Pacific Corporation (NYSE: UNP) is one of the largest freight railroad companies in the United States. Its principal operating subsidiary, Union Pacific Railroad, has roots that trace back to the Pacific Railway Act of 1862 and the construction of the first transcontinental rail link completed in 1869. The company is headquartered in Omaha, Nebraska, and operates as a holding company for rail transportation and related services.

Union Pacific’s core business is the movement of freight by rail across an extensive rail network serving the western two‑thirds of the United States.