Silver Oak Securities Incorporated Buys New Stake in Union Pacific Co. (NYSE:UNP)

Silver Oak Securities Incorporated bought a new stake in Union Pacific Co. (NYSE:UNP) in the fourth quarter, HoldingsChannel.com reports. The fund bought 970 shares of the railroad operator’s stock, valued at approximately $238,000.

Several other institutional investors and hedge funds also recently bought and sold shares of UNP. BluePath Capital Management LLC purchased a new position in Union Pacific during the third quarter worth $25,000. Valued Wealth Advisors LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Union Pacific during the fourth quarter valued at $28,000. Stuart Chaussee & Associates Inc. purchased a new stake in shares of Union Pacific during the fourth quarter valued at $36,000. Fortitude Family Office LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Union Pacific during the fourth quarter valued at $44,000. Finally, Hexagon Capital Partners LLC boosted its stake in shares of Union Pacific by 48.6% during the third quarter. Hexagon Capital Partners LLC now owns 309 shares of the railroad operator’s stock valued at $63,000 after purchasing an additional 101 shares during the period. 80.38% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Union Pacific Stock Performance

UNP opened at $234.83 on Thursday. Union Pacific Co. has a 52-week low of $190.71 and a 52-week high of $258.66. The company has a quick ratio of 0.76, a current ratio of 0.93 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.99. The company has a market cap of $143.27 billion, a P/E ratio of 22.41, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.52 and a beta of 1.06. The firm’s 50-day moving average price is $243.62 and its 200-day moving average price is $235.76.

Union Pacific (NYSE:UNP) last issued its earnings results on Thursday, April 25th. The railroad operator reported $2.69 EPS for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $2.50 by $0.19. The firm had revenue of $6.03 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $5.97 billion. Union Pacific had a return on equity of 44.34% and a net margin of 26.52%. Union Pacific’s revenue for the quarter was down .4% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter in the prior year, the firm earned $2.67 earnings per share. As a group, equities analysts anticipate that Union Pacific Co. will post 11.21 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Union Pacific Announces Dividend

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, March 29th. Investors of record on Thursday, February 29th were given a $1.30 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Wednesday, February 28th. This represents a $5.20 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 2.21%. Union Pacific’s dividend payout ratio is currently 49.62%.

Insider Activity at Union Pacific

In other Union Pacific news, President Elizabeth F. Whited sold 3,750 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, February 15th. The stock was sold at an average price of $250.00, for a total value of $937,500.00. Following the sale, the president now owns 56,682 shares in the company, valued at approximately $14,170,500. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available at the SEC website. 0.28% of the stock is owned by insiders.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

A number of analysts have recently issued reports on UNP shares. Sanford C. Bernstein raised shares of Union Pacific from a “market perform” rating to an “outperform” rating and set a $280.00 target price for the company in a research note on Monday, January 22nd. The Goldman Sachs Group lifted their price objective on Union Pacific from $248.00 to $274.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a report on Thursday, April 11th. Evercore ISI lifted their price objective on Union Pacific from $271.00 to $273.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a report on Friday, April 26th. BMO Capital Markets lifted their price objective on Union Pacific from $270.00 to $275.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a report on Friday, January 26th. Finally, TD Cowen lifted their price objective on Union Pacific from $252.00 to $258.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a report on Friday, April 26th. Seven equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, thirteen have given a buy rating and one has given a strong buy rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat, the stock presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $258.78.

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.