Pine Valley Investments Ltd Liability Co Grows Stock Holdings in Union Pacific Co. (NYSE:UNP)

Pine Valley Investments Ltd Liability Co boosted its holdings in shares of Union Pacific Co. (NYSE:UNP) by 18.4% during the fourth quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 12,056 shares of the railroad operator’s stock after purchasing an additional 1,872 shares during the quarter. Pine Valley Investments Ltd Liability Co’s holdings in Union Pacific were worth $2,749,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

A number of other hedge funds also recently bought and sold shares of UNP. Compass Financial Services Inc purchased a new stake in Union Pacific during the fourth quarter valued at $25,000. Synergy Asset Management LLC purchased a new stake in Union Pacific during the fourth quarter valued at $29,000. Catalyst Capital Advisors LLC bought a new position in Union Pacific during the third quarter valued at $30,000. Peterson Financial Group Inc. bought a new position in Union Pacific during the third quarter valued at $32,000. Finally, Dunhill Financial LLC increased its position in Union Pacific by 111.5% during the third quarter. Dunhill Financial LLC now owns 129 shares of the railroad operator’s stock valued at $32,000 after acquiring an additional 68 shares during the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 80.38% of the company’s stock.

Analyst Ratings Changes

A number of research analysts have weighed in on the stock. Raymond James reiterated a “strong-buy” rating and set a $285.00 price objective (up previously from $265.00) on shares of Union Pacific in a research report on Friday, January 24th. Loop Capital cut shares of Union Pacific from a “hold” rating to a “sell” rating and cut their price objective for the company from $265.00 to $200.00 in a research report on Monday, February 3rd. Wells Fargo & Company cut their price objective on shares of Union Pacific from $267.00 to $265.00 and set an “overweight” rating on the stock in a research report on Tuesday, January 7th. BMO Capital Markets boosted their price objective on shares of Union Pacific from $275.00 to $277.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a research report on Friday, January 24th. Finally, TD Cowen boosted their price objective 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. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, seven have given a hold rating, twelve have given a buy rating and one has given a strong buy rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the company has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $261.40.

Insider Buying and Selling at Union Pacific

In other Union Pacific news, President Elizabeth F. Whited sold 7,500 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Friday, January 24th. The shares were sold at an average price of $250.00, for a total transaction of $1,875,000.00. Following the completion of the sale, 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 transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. Also, EVP Craig V. Richardson sold 6,495 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Monday, January 27th. The shares were sold at an average price of $252.00, for a total transaction of $1,636,740.00. Following the sale, the executive vice president now directly owns 26,319 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $6,632,388. The trade was a 19.79 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders own 0.28% of the company’s stock.

Union Pacific Stock Up 1.4 %

Shares of Union Pacific stock opened at $245.83 on Wednesday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.76, a current ratio of 0.77 and a quick ratio of 0.62. Union Pacific Co. has a 1 year low of $218.55 and a 1 year high of $258.66. The firm’s 50-day moving average is $238.19 and its two-hundred day moving average is $240.80. The stock has a market cap of $148.55 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 22.17, a PEG ratio of 2.15 and a beta of 1.06.

Union Pacific (NYSE:UNP) last issued its earnings results on Thursday, January 23rd. The railroad operator reported $2.91 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate 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 quarter in the previous year, the business posted $2.71 EPS. As a group, research analysts expect that Union Pacific Co. will post 11.99 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Union Pacific Dividend Announcement

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, March 31st. Shareholders of record on Friday, February 28th will be given a dividend of $1.34 per share. This represents a $5.36 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 2.18%. The ex-dividend date is Friday, February 28th. Union Pacific’s payout ratio is 48.33%.

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.