Jones Financial Companies Lllp Purchases Shares of 16,918 Union Pacific Corporation $UNP

Jones Financial Companies Lllp acquired a new position in shares of Union Pacific Corporation (NYSE:UNP) in the 2nd quarter, HoldingsChannel reports. The fund acquired 16,918 shares of the railroad operator’s stock, valued at approximately $4,602,000.

Other hedge funds also recently modified their holdings of the company. Rachor Investment Advisory Services LLC bought a new position in Union Pacific during the fourth quarter worth $25,000. Tucker Asset Management LLC acquired a new stake in Union Pacific in the fourth quarter worth $25,000. SWAN Capital LLC increased its stake in 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 in the last quarter. High Point Wealth Management LLC bought a new stake in Union Pacific in the fourth quarter valued at $26,000. Finally, Cornerstone Financial Management LLC acquired a new position in shares of Union Pacific during the fourth quarter valued at about $27,000. Institutional investors own 80.38% of the company’s stock.

Union Pacific Trading Up 0.6%

NYSE:UNP opened at $309.83 on Tuesday. 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 50-day moving average of $287.14 and a 200-day moving average of $268.31. The company has a market cap of $184.06 billion, a PE ratio of 25.09, a PEG ratio of 3.14 and a beta of 0.96. Union Pacific Corporation has a one year low of $210.84 and a one year high of $315.99.

Union Pacific (NYSE:UNP) last posted 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. Union Pacific had a net margin of 28.85% and a return on equity of 38.46%. The company had revenue of $6.86 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $6.72 billion. During the same quarter in the prior year, the business posted $3.03 EPS. The firm’s revenue was up 11.5% compared to the same quarter last year. As a group, equities research analysts expect that Union Pacific Corporation will post 12.93 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Union Pacific Increases Dividend

The business 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. This represents a $5.68 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 1.8%. This is a boost from Union Pacific’s previous quarterly dividend of $1.38. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Monday, August 31st. Union Pacific’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 45.99%.

Insider Activity at Union Pacific

In other news, EVP Eric J. Gehringer sold 2,991 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction that occurred 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 transaction, the executive vice president owned 43,012 shares in the company, valued at $11,353,447.52. This trade represents a 6.50% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this hyperlink. 0.22% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

UNP has been the topic of a number of research analyst reports. Weiss Ratings raised shares of Union Pacific from a “buy (b-)” rating to a “buy (b)” rating in a research report on Friday, July 24th. The Goldman Sachs Group set a $317.00 target price on Union Pacific and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a research report on Thursday, July 23rd. JPMorgan Chase & Co. upped their price target on Union Pacific from $304.00 to $334.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a research note on Friday, July 24th. Barclays reiterated an “overweight” rating and issued a $350.00 price target (up from $315.00) on shares of Union Pacific in a report on Friday, July 24th. Finally, Citizens Jmp initiated coverage on Union Pacific in a research note on Wednesday, July 15th. They issued an “outperform” rating and a $350.00 price objective for the company. Two 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. Based on data from MarketBeat, the stock has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $320.89.

About Union Pacific

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.