West Family Investments Inc. Makes New $514,000 Investment in Union Pacific Corporation $UNP

West Family Investments Inc. purchased a new stake in Union Pacific Corporation (NYSE:UNP) in the 2nd quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The fund purchased 1,889 shares of the railroad operator’s stock, valued at approximately $514,000.

Several other institutional investors have also recently made changes to their positions in the stock. Rachor Investment Advisory Services LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Union Pacific in the 4th quarter valued at about $25,000. Tucker Asset Management LLC acquired a new position in Union Pacific during the 4th quarter worth approximately $25,000. SWAN Capital LLC boosted its holdings in Union Pacific by 2,575.0% in the fourth quarter. SWAN Capital LLC now owns 107 shares of the railroad operator’s stock worth $25,000 after acquiring an additional 103 shares in the last quarter. High Point Wealth Management LLC bought a new position in Union Pacific in the fourth quarter worth approximately $26,000. Finally, Cornerstone Financial Management LLC acquired a new stake in Union Pacific in the fourth quarter valued at approximately $27,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 80.38% of the company’s stock.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

UNP has been the topic of a number of research reports. BMO Capital Markets reaffirmed a “market perform” rating and set a $320.00 target price (up from $285.00) on shares of Union Pacific in a research report on Friday, July 24th. Robert W. Baird lifted their price target on shares of Union Pacific from $311.00 to $344.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a research report on Monday, July 27th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. boosted their price target on shares of Union Pacific from $304.00 to $334.00 and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a research note on Friday, July 24th. Royal Bank Of Canada restated an “outperform” rating and set a $339.00 price objective (up from $289.00) on shares of Union Pacific in a report on Friday, July 24th. Finally, Citigroup raised their price objective on shares of Union Pacific from $326.00 to $349.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research note on Friday, July 24th. Two analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, thirteen have assigned a Buy rating and six have given a Hold rating to the company. According to MarketBeat, the company currently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $320.89.

Union Pacific Stock Up 0.8%

Shares of NYSE:UNP opened at $304.34 on Friday. The business’s 50 day moving average is $285.59 and its 200 day moving average is $267.31. Union Pacific Corporation has a 12-month low of $210.84 and a 12-month high of $315.99. The stock has a market cap of $180.80 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 24.64, a PEG ratio of 3.08 and a beta of 0.96. The company has a quick ratio of 0.82, a current ratio of 0.99 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.40.

Union Pacific (NYSE:UNP) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, July 23rd. The railroad operator reported $3.41 earnings per share for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $3.26 by $0.15. The business had revenue of $6.86 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $6.72 billion. Union Pacific had a return on equity of 38.46% and a net margin of 28.85%.The business’s revenue was up 11.5% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period last year, the business earned $3.03 EPS. On average, sell-side analysts forecast that Union Pacific Corporation will post 12.93 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Union Pacific Increases Dividend

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, September 30th. Investors of record on Monday, August 31st will be issued a dividend of $1.42 per share. This represents a $5.68 annualized dividend and a yield of 1.9%. This is a boost from Union Pacific’s previous quarterly dividend of $1.38. The ex-dividend date is Monday, August 31st. Union Pacific’s dividend payout ratio is presently 44.70%.

Insider Transactions at Union Pacific

In other Union Pacific news, EVP Eric J. Gehringer sold 2,991 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, June 3rd. The shares were 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 directly owned 43,012 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $11,353,447.52. This represents a 6.50% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is accessible through the SEC website. Insiders own 0.22% of the company’s stock.

Union Pacific 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.