MML Investors Services LLC Grows Stock Position in Union Pacific Co. (NYSE:UNP)

MML Investors Services LLC lifted its holdings in shares of Union Pacific Co. (NYSE:UNP) by 3.4% during the fourth quarter, Holdings Channel.com reports. The fund owned 172,848 shares of the railroad operator’s stock after acquiring an additional 5,699 shares during the period. MML Investors Services LLC’s holdings in Union Pacific were worth $39,416,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Other hedge funds have also recently modified their holdings of the company. Compass Financial Services Inc purchased a new stake in Union Pacific during the 4th quarter worth approximately $25,000. Synergy Asset Management LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Union Pacific during the fourth quarter worth $29,000. EnRich Financial Partners LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Union Pacific during the fourth quarter valued at $31,000. PrairieView Partners LLC acquired a new position in shares of Union Pacific in the 4th quarter valued at $34,000. Finally, Strategic Investment Solutions Inc. IL raised its stake in Union Pacific by 38.8% in the 4th quarter. Strategic Investment Solutions Inc. IL now owns 161 shares of the railroad operator’s stock worth $39,000 after acquiring an additional 45 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 80.38% of the company’s stock.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

UNP has been the topic of a number of recent research reports. Loop Capital lowered Union Pacific from a “hold” rating to a “sell” rating and dropped their target price for the company from $265.00 to $200.00 in a research report on Monday, February 3rd. Raymond James cut their price objective on shares of Union Pacific from $285.00 to $260.00 and set a “strong-buy” rating on the stock in a research note on Friday, April 11th. TD Cowen boosted their target price on shares of Union Pacific from $245.00 to $258.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research report on Friday, January 24th. Wells Fargo & Company cut their price target on Union Pacific from $265.00 to $260.00 and set an “overweight” rating on the stock in a research report on Thursday, March 27th. Finally, Redburn Atlantic raised Union Pacific from a “neutral” rating to a “buy” rating and set a $259.00 price objective for the company in a report on Wednesday, April 16th. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, seven have given a hold rating, fourteen have assigned a buy rating and one has issued a strong buy rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat, Union Pacific currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $257.50.

Union Pacific Stock Up 1.7 %

UNP opened at $220.26 on Monday. The stock has a market capitalization of $132.01 billion, a P/E ratio of 19.86, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.15 and a beta of 1.06. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.76, a quick ratio of 0.62 and a current ratio of 0.77. Union Pacific Co. has a one year low of $204.66 and a one year high of $258.07. The business’s 50-day simple moving average is $235.02 and its 200-day simple moving average is $236.39.

Union Pacific (NYSE:UNP) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, January 23rd. The railroad operator reported $2.91 EPS for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $2.76 by $0.15. Union Pacific had a net margin of 27.82% and a return on equity of 41.12%. During the same period last year, the firm earned $2.71 EPS. Analysts anticipate that Union Pacific Co. will post 11.99 EPS for the current year.

Union Pacific Announces Dividend

The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Monday, March 31st. Shareholders of record on Friday, February 28th were issued a $1.34 dividend. This represents a $5.36 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 2.43%. The ex-dividend date was Friday, February 28th. Union Pacific’s dividend payout ratio is presently 48.33%.

Insider Transactions at Union Pacific

In related news, EVP Craig V. Richardson sold 6,495 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction that occurred on 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 sale, the executive vice president now owns 26,319 shares in the company, valued at $6,632,388. This represents a 19.79 % decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available at this hyperlink. Also, President Elizabeth F. Whited sold 7,500 shares of Union Pacific stock in a transaction on 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 transaction, the president now directly owns 64,960 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $16,240,000. This represents a 10.35 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Company insiders own 0.28% of the company’s stock.

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.