Wilkins Investment Counsel Inc. Has $4.74 Million Stock Holdings in Union Pacific Co. (NYSE:UNP)

Wilkins Investment Counsel Inc. boosted its stake in shares of Union Pacific Co. (NYSE:UNP) by 8.0% during the 2nd quarter, HoldingsChannel.com reports. The institutional investor owned 20,943 shares of the railroad operator’s stock after buying an additional 1,550 shares during the period. Wilkins Investment Counsel Inc.’s holdings in Union Pacific were worth $4,739,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

A number of other institutional investors have also recently bought and sold shares of UNP. Diamond Hill Capital Management Inc. increased its position in shares of Union Pacific by 5.2% during the second quarter. Diamond Hill Capital Management Inc. now owns 1,826,860 shares of the railroad operator’s stock worth $413,345,000 after acquiring an additional 90,722 shares in the last quarter. Lyell Wealth Management LP increased its holdings in Union Pacific by 0.5% during the 2nd quarter. Lyell Wealth Management LP now owns 35,548 shares of the railroad operator’s stock worth $8,043,000 after purchasing an additional 168 shares in the last quarter. Oppenheimer Asset Management Inc. raised its stake in shares of Union Pacific by 8.1% in the 2nd quarter. Oppenheimer Asset Management Inc. now owns 39,597 shares of the railroad operator’s stock valued at $8,959,000 after purchasing an additional 2,981 shares during the period. Stolper Co lifted its holdings in shares of Union Pacific by 2.5% in the second quarter. Stolper Co now owns 27,335 shares of the railroad operator’s stock valued at $6,185,000 after purchasing an additional 673 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Thoroughbred Financial Services LLC boosted its position in shares of Union Pacific by 12.1% during the second quarter. Thoroughbred Financial Services LLC now owns 5,178 shares of the railroad operator’s stock worth $1,171,000 after buying an additional 557 shares during the period. Institutional investors own 80.38% of the company’s stock.

Union Pacific Price Performance

Shares of UNP opened at $249.12 on Friday. The company’s 50-day moving average is $243.00 and its 200-day moving average is $239.19. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.89, a current ratio of 1.05 and a quick ratio of 0.86. The firm has a market capitalization of $151.76 billion, a PE ratio of 23.77, a PEG ratio of 2.20 and a beta of 1.05. Union Pacific Co. has a fifty-two week low of $199.33 and a fifty-two week high of $258.66.

Union Pacific (NYSE:UNP) last released its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, July 25th. The railroad operator reported $2.74 earnings per share for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $2.71 by $0.03. Union Pacific had a net margin of 26.90% and a return on equity of 42.62%. The firm had revenue of $6.01 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $6.05 billion. During the same period in the prior year, the firm earned $2.57 EPS. The business’s revenue was up .7% on a year-over-year basis. Equities analysts forecast that Union Pacific Co. will post 11.11 EPS for the current year.

Union Pacific Increases Dividend

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, September 30th. Investors of record on Friday, August 30th will be paid a $1.34 dividend. The ex-dividend date is Friday, August 30th. This is an increase from Union Pacific’s previous quarterly dividend of $1.30. This represents a $5.36 annualized dividend and a yield of 2.15%. Union Pacific’s payout ratio is 51.15%.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

Several equities research analysts have commented on the company. Benchmark restated a “buy” rating and issued a $266.00 target price on shares of Union Pacific in a research note on Monday, July 29th. Royal Bank of Canada reissued an “outperform” rating and issued a $275.00 price objective on shares of Union Pacific in a research report on Thursday. Loop Capital downgraded shares of Union Pacific from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating and decreased their target price for the company from $276.00 to $238.00 in a research report on Monday, June 17th. TD Cowen cut their price target on shares of Union Pacific from $259.00 to $255.00 and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a research report on Friday, July 26th. Finally, StockNews.com cut Union Pacific from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a report on Tuesday, June 18th. Eight equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, twelve have given a buy rating and one has given a strong buy rating to the company’s stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the stock presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $258.79.

Insider Buying and Selling at Union Pacific

In other news, President Elizabeth F. Whited sold 3,552 shares of Union Pacific stock in a transaction on Tuesday, July 30th. The stock was sold at an average price of $246.59, for a total transaction of $875,887.68. Following the completion of the sale, the president now owns 64,945 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $16,014,787.55. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this link. Insiders own 0.28% of the company’s stock.

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.