Union Pacific Co. (NYSE:UNP) Shares Purchased by Meiji Yasuda Life Insurance Co

Meiji Yasuda Life Insurance Co grew its position in shares of Union Pacific Co. (NYSE:UNP) by 10.6% in the 4th quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The fund owned 9,505 shares of the railroad operator’s stock after acquiring an additional 910 shares during the quarter. Meiji Yasuda Life Insurance Co’s holdings in Union Pacific were worth $2,168,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

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

Analyst Ratings Changes

Several research analysts have recently weighed in on UNP shares. Raymond James restated a “strong-buy” rating on shares of Union Pacific in a research note on Friday, April 25th. Susquehanna lowered their target price on Union Pacific from $255.00 to $245.00 and set a “neutral” rating for the company in a research note on Friday, April 25th. 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 note on Thursday, March 27th. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft assumed coverage on Union Pacific in a research note on Friday, March 7th. They set a “buy” rating and a $295.00 price objective for the company. Finally, Guggenheim increased their target price on Union Pacific from $266.00 to $275.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research note on Friday, January 24th. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, six have given a hold rating, fifteen have issued a buy rating and one has issued a strong buy rating to the company. According to MarketBeat, the stock has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $257.86.

Union Pacific Trading Down 0.8 %

Union Pacific stock opened at $213.99 on Friday. Union Pacific Co. has a 52-week low of $204.66 and a 52-week high of $258.07. The company has a quick ratio of 0.62, a current ratio of 0.77 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.76. The firm has a market capitalization of $127.85 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 19.30, a PEG ratio of 2.15 and a beta of 1.06. The firm has a 50-day moving average price of $229.16 and a two-hundred day moving average price of $234.93.

Union Pacific (NYSE:UNP) last released its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, April 24th. The railroad operator reported $2.70 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $2.73 by ($0.03). Union Pacific had a return on equity of 41.12% and a net margin of 27.82%. The business had revenue of $6.03 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $6.11 billion. During the same period in the previous year, the company posted $2.69 EPS. The company’s revenue for the quarter was down .1% compared to the same quarter last year. Sell-side analysts expect that Union Pacific Co. will post 11.99 earnings per share for the current year.

Union Pacific Announces Dividend

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Monday, March 31st. Shareholders 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 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 2.50%. Union Pacific’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 48.29%.

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.