Sigma Planning Corp Lowers Stake in Union Pacific Co. (NYSE:UNP)

Sigma Planning Corp lowered its stake in shares of Union Pacific Co. (NYSE:UNP) by 53.5% in the fourth quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the SEC. The firm owned 2,810 shares of the railroad operator’s stock after selling 3,229 shares during the period. Sigma Planning Corp’s holdings in Union Pacific were worth $690,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

A number of other hedge funds have also recently made changes to their positions in UNP. BluePath Capital Management LLC purchased a new position in shares of Union Pacific during the 3rd quarter worth approximately $25,000. Valued Wealth Advisors LLC purchased a new position in shares of Union Pacific during the 4th quarter worth approximately $28,000. Fortitude Family Office LLC purchased a new position in shares of Union Pacific during the 4th quarter worth approximately $44,000. Hexagon Capital Partners LLC boosted its position in Union Pacific by 48.6% in the 3rd quarter. Hexagon Capital Partners LLC now owns 309 shares of the railroad operator’s stock valued at $63,000 after buying an additional 101 shares during the period. Finally, Legacy Financial Group LLC purchased a new position in Union Pacific in the 3rd quarter valued at approximately $83,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 80.38% of the company’s stock.

Union Pacific Price Performance

Shares of NYSE:UNP opened at $231.98 on Thursday. The company’s fifty day moving average price is $244.48 and its 200 day moving average price is $234.62. Union Pacific Co. has a 12 month low of $190.37 and a 12 month high of $258.66. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 2.11, a current ratio of 0.81 and a quick ratio of 0.67. The firm has a market capitalization of $141.53 billion, a P/E ratio of 22.18, a P/E/G ratio of 2.55 and a beta of 1.07.

Union Pacific (NYSE:UNP) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, January 25th. The railroad operator reported $2.71 EPS for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $2.56 by $0.15. Union Pacific had a net margin of 26.45% and a return on equity of 46.87%. The firm had revenue of $6.16 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $6.05 billion. During the same period last year, the business earned $2.67 EPS. Union Pacific’s revenue for the quarter was down .3% compared to the same quarter last year. As a group, sell-side analysts predict that Union Pacific Co. will post 11.01 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Union Pacific Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, March 29th. Shareholders of record on Thursday, February 29th were paid a $1.30 dividend. The ex-dividend date was Wednesday, February 28th. This represents a $5.20 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 2.24%. Union Pacific’s dividend payout ratio is presently 49.71%.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

UNP has been the subject of several recent research reports. TD Cowen raised their price target on shares of Union Pacific from $228.00 to $251.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a research report on Friday, January 26th. Susquehanna raised their price target on shares of Union Pacific from $245.00 to $255.00 and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a research report on Thursday, March 28th. Raymond James raised their price target on shares of Union Pacific from $240.00 to $275.00 and gave the company a “strong-buy” rating in a research report on Tuesday, January 16th. Sanford C. Bernstein raised shares of Union Pacific from a “market perform” rating to an “outperform” rating and set a $280.00 price target for the company in a research report on Monday, January 22nd. Finally, Benchmark raised their price target on shares of Union Pacific from $260.00 to $266.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research report on Wednesday, April 10th. Seven research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, eleven have issued a buy rating and one has assigned a strong buy rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the stock has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $255.00.

Insider Buying and Selling at Union Pacific

In other Union Pacific news, President Elizabeth F. Whited sold 3,750 shares of Union Pacific stock in a transaction on Thursday, February 15th. The shares were sold at an average price of $250.00, for a total value of $937,500.00. Following the transaction, the president now directly owns 56,682 shares in the company, valued at $14,170,500. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available at the SEC website. 0.28% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders.

Union Pacific Company 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.