UNIVEST FINANCIAL Corp Acquires 4,380 Shares of Union Pacific Corporation (NYSE:UNP)

UNIVEST FINANCIAL Corp raised its stake in shares of Union Pacific Corporation (NYSE:UNP) by 44.0% in the 1st quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The fund owned 14,339 shares of the railroad operator’s stock after purchasing an additional 4,380 shares during the period. UNIVEST FINANCIAL Corp’s holdings in Union Pacific were worth $3,387,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Several other large investors have also bought and sold shares of the stock. Allred Capital Management LLC lifted its stake in shares of Union Pacific by 0.5% in the fourth quarter. Allred Capital Management LLC now owns 8,349 shares of the railroad operator’s stock worth $1,904,000 after acquiring an additional 40 shares during the period. Strategic Investment Solutions Inc. IL raised its holdings in Union Pacific by 38.8% during the 4th quarter. Strategic Investment Solutions Inc. IL now owns 161 shares of the railroad operator’s stock worth $39,000 after purchasing an additional 45 shares during the last quarter. Foster Dykema Cabot & Partners LLC raised its holdings in Union Pacific by 1.6% during the 4th quarter. Foster Dykema Cabot & Partners LLC now owns 2,922 shares of the railroad operator’s stock worth $666,000 after purchasing an additional 47 shares during the last quarter. First Financial Bank Trust Division lifted its position in shares of Union Pacific by 1.7% in the 1st quarter. First Financial Bank Trust Division now owns 2,803 shares of the railroad operator’s stock worth $662,000 after purchasing an additional 47 shares during the period. Finally, Stiles Financial Services Inc boosted its stake in shares of Union Pacific by 1.6% in the 1st quarter. Stiles Financial Services Inc now owns 2,963 shares of the railroad operator’s stock valued at $700,000 after purchasing an additional 48 shares during the last quarter. 80.38% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

Union Pacific Price Performance

UNP stock opened at $222.16 on Friday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.86, a quick ratio of 0.53 and a current ratio of 0.65. The business has a 50-day simple moving average of $227.09 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $230.93. The company has a market capitalization of $131.75 billion, a P/E ratio of 19.30, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.30 and a beta of 1.05. Union Pacific Corporation has a 52-week low of $204.66 and a 52-week high of $258.07.

Union Pacific (NYSE:UNP) last posted its earnings results on Thursday, July 24th. The railroad operator reported $3.03 earnings per share for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $2.84 by $0.19. The company had revenue of $6.15 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $6.09 billion. Union Pacific had a return on equity of 41.73% and a net margin of 28.43%. The company’s revenue for the quarter was up 2.4% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter last year, the company earned $2.74 earnings per share. Research analysts expect that Union Pacific Corporation will post 11.99 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Union Pacific Increases Dividend

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, September 30th. Shareholders of record on Friday, August 29th will be issued a dividend of $1.38 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, August 29th. This represents a $5.52 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 2.5%. This is a positive change from Union Pacific’s previous quarterly dividend of $1.34. Union Pacific’s payout ratio is presently 46.57%.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

A number of equities analysts recently weighed in on the stock. Jefferies Financial Group raised shares of Union Pacific from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating and lifted their target price for the stock from $250.00 to $285.00 in a research note on Friday, July 25th. Sanford C. Bernstein increased their price target on Union Pacific from $271.00 to $286.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a report on Monday, July 21st. Wells Fargo & Company boosted their price objective on Union Pacific from $250.00 to $260.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a research note on Friday, July 25th. Stifel Nicolaus cut their target price on Union Pacific from $270.00 to $248.00 and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a research report on Monday, April 14th. Finally, Morgan Stanley decreased their target price on Union Pacific from $220.00 to $215.00 and set an “equal weight” rating for the company in a research note on Monday, July 7th. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, eleven have given a hold rating, fourteen have issued a buy rating and two have given a strong buy rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $258.21.

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.