Wambolt & Associates LLC Lowers Holdings in Union Pacific Co. (NYSE:UNP)

Wambolt & Associates LLC cut its position in shares of Union Pacific Co. (NYSE:UNP) by 35.4% in the first quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 1,260 shares of the railroad operator’s stock after selling 689 shares during the period. Wambolt & Associates LLC’s holdings in Union Pacific were worth $307,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission.

Several other institutional investors have also recently made changes to their positions in the company. Silver Oak Advisory Group Inc. purchased a new position in Union Pacific in the fourth quarter valued at about $219,000. Allegheny Financial Group LTD grew its holdings in Union Pacific by 22.5% in the fourth quarter. Allegheny Financial Group LTD now owns 10,885 shares of the railroad operator’s stock worth $2,674,000 after purchasing an additional 2,000 shares during the last quarter. Silver Oak Securities Incorporated acquired a new position in shares of Union Pacific during the fourth quarter worth $238,000. Nordea Investment Management AB lifted its holdings in shares of Union Pacific by 46.9% during the 4th quarter. Nordea Investment Management AB now owns 87,905 shares of the railroad operator’s stock valued at $21,596,000 after purchasing an additional 28,052 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Procyon Advisors LLC boosted its position in shares of Union Pacific by 48.3% in the 4th quarter. Procyon Advisors LLC now owns 18,512 shares of the railroad operator’s stock worth $4,547,000 after purchasing an additional 6,031 shares in the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 80.38% of the company’s stock.

Union Pacific Price Performance

UNP traded down $0.40 on Friday, reaching $225.17. 1,659,395 shares of the company’s stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 2,073,654. The stock has a market cap of $137.38 billion, a PE ratio of 21.49, a P/E/G ratio of 1.92 and a beta of 1.06. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.99, a current ratio of 0.93 and a quick ratio of 0.76. Union Pacific Co. has a twelve month low of $199.33 and a twelve month high of $258.66. The stock’s fifty day moving average price is $232.06 and its 200-day moving average price is $239.77.

Union Pacific (NYSE:UNP) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, April 25th. The railroad operator reported $2.69 EPS for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $2.50 by $0.19. The firm had revenue of $6.03 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $5.97 billion. Union Pacific had a return on equity of 44.34% and a net margin of 26.52%. The business’s revenue for the quarter was down .4% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter last year, the firm earned $2.67 earnings per share. Sell-side analysts expect that Union Pacific Co. will post 11.22 EPS for the current year.

Union Pacific Announces Dividend

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, June 28th. Investors of record on Friday, May 31st were issued a $1.30 dividend. This represents a $5.20 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 2.31%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Friday, May 31st. Union Pacific’s dividend payout ratio is currently 49.62%.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

UNP has been the subject of several recent analyst reports. Susquehanna lowered their price target on Union Pacific from $270.00 to $250.00 and set a “neutral” rating for the company in a report on Tuesday, June 25th. Stifel Nicolaus raised Union Pacific from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating and boosted their price objective for the company from $248.00 to $267.00 in a report on Friday, May 3rd. Morgan Stanley raised their target price on Union Pacific from $198.00 to $210.00 and gave the stock an “equal weight” rating in a report on Friday, April 26th. The Goldman Sachs Group upped their price objective on Union Pacific from $248.00 to $274.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research report on Thursday, April 11th. Finally, Evercore ISI raised their price target on shares of Union Pacific from $271.00 to $273.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a research report on Friday, April 26th. Eight equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, thirteen have given a buy rating and one has assigned a strong buy rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the stock currently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $258.92.

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.