Texas Yale Capital Corp. Raises Stock Holdings in Union Pacific Co. (NYSE:UNP)

Texas Yale Capital Corp. raised its position in shares of Union Pacific Co. (NYSE:UNP) by 8.5% in the 4th quarter, HoldingsChannel.com reports. The institutional investor owned 4,775 shares of the railroad operator’s stock after purchasing an additional 375 shares during the period. Texas Yale Capital Corp.’s holdings in Union Pacific were worth $1,089,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Other hedge funds have also recently modified their holdings of the company. Geode Capital Management LLC grew its holdings in Union Pacific by 12.6% in the fourth quarter. Geode Capital Management LLC now owns 14,430,581 shares of the railroad operator’s stock worth $3,282,305,000 after purchasing an additional 1,616,895 shares during the period. Norges Bank purchased a new stake in shares of Union Pacific in the 4th quarter worth approximately $1,927,377,000. Franklin Resources Inc. increased its position in Union Pacific by 5.0% during the 4th quarter. Franklin Resources Inc. now owns 7,686,387 shares of the railroad operator’s stock valued at $1,752,804,000 after buying an additional 363,937 shares in the last quarter. Invesco Ltd. raised its stake in Union Pacific by 4.6% during the fourth quarter. Invesco Ltd. now owns 6,439,861 shares of the railroad operator’s stock valued at $1,468,546,000 after buying an additional 285,401 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Fisher Asset Management LLC boosted its holdings in Union Pacific by 0.3% in the fourth quarter. Fisher Asset Management LLC now owns 6,305,684 shares of the railroad operator’s stock worth $1,437,948,000 after acquiring an additional 20,099 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors own 80.38% of the company’s stock.

Insider Transactions at Union Pacific

In related news, EVP Craig V. Richardson sold 6,495 shares of the business’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 transaction of $1,636,740.00. Following the completion of the sale, the executive vice president now directly owns 26,319 shares in the company, valued at approximately $6,632,388. The trade was a 19.79 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through the SEC website. Also, President Elizabeth F. Whited sold 7,500 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction on Friday, January 24th. The shares were sold at an average price of $250.00, for a total value of $1,875,000.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the president now owns 64,960 shares in the company, valued at $16,240,000. The trade was a 10.35 % decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Corporate insiders own 0.28% of the company’s stock.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

A number of analysts have weighed in on the stock. Citigroup upgraded shares of Union Pacific from a “neutral” rating to a “buy” rating and reduced their price objective for the company from $260.00 to $244.00 in a research note on Tuesday. Susquehanna decreased their price objective on shares of Union Pacific from $265.00 to $255.00 and set a “neutral” rating for the company in a report on Thursday, March 27th. Wells Fargo & Company cut their target price on Union Pacific from $265.00 to $260.00 and set an “overweight” rating on the stock in a research note on Thursday, March 27th. Raymond James reaffirmed a “strong-buy” rating and set a $285.00 price target (up from $265.00) on shares of Union Pacific in a report on Friday, January 24th. Finally, Loop Capital downgraded Union Pacific from a “hold” rating to a “sell” rating and reduced their price objective for the stock from $265.00 to $200.00 in a report on Monday, February 3rd. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, seven have issued a hold rating, fourteen have assigned a buy rating and one has issued a strong buy rating to the company’s stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the company presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $260.32.

Union Pacific Price Performance

NYSE:UNP opened at $223.77 on Thursday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.76, a current ratio of 0.77 and a quick ratio of 0.62. The company has a 50 day moving average price of $238.46 and a 200-day moving average price of $237.67. Union Pacific Co. has a 1-year low of $204.66 and a 1-year high of $258.07. The firm has a market cap of $134.11 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 20.18, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.15 and a beta of 1.06.

Union Pacific (NYSE:UNP) last announced its earnings results on Thursday, January 23rd. The railroad operator reported $2.91 earnings per share for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $2.76 by $0.15. Union Pacific had a return on equity of 41.12% and a net margin of 27.82%. During the same quarter in the prior year, the business posted $2.71 earnings per share. Equities research analysts forecast that Union Pacific Co. will post 11.99 EPS for the current year.

Union Pacific Announces Dividend

The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Monday, March 31st. Stockholders of record on Friday, February 28th were given a $1.34 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Friday, February 28th. This represents a $5.36 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 2.40%. Union Pacific’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 48.33%.

About Union Pacific

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.