Banque Pictet & Cie SA Increases Stake in Union Pacific Co. (NYSE:UNP)

Banque Pictet & Cie SA raised its position in Union Pacific Co. (NYSE:UNP) by 4.7% during the fourth quarter, according to its most recent filing with the SEC. The institutional investor owned 39,296 shares of the railroad operator’s stock after purchasing an additional 1,780 shares during the period. Banque Pictet & Cie SA’s holdings in Union Pacific were worth $8,961,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Other hedge funds and other institutional investors also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Compass Financial Services Inc purchased a new position in Union Pacific in the 4th quarter valued at $25,000. Synergy Asset Management LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Union Pacific in the 4th quarter worth $29,000. Catalyst Capital Advisors LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Union Pacific in the 3rd quarter worth $30,000. Jamison Private Wealth Management Inc. increased its stake in shares of Union Pacific by 265.7% in the 3rd quarter. Jamison Private Wealth Management Inc. now owns 128 shares of the railroad operator’s stock worth $32,000 after acquiring an additional 93 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Dunhill Financial LLC increased its stake in shares of Union Pacific by 111.5% in the 3rd quarter. Dunhill Financial LLC now owns 129 shares of the railroad operator’s stock worth $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 Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of brokerages have issued reports on UNP. Robert W. Baird raised their target price on Union Pacific from $260.00 to $265.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a research note on Friday, January 24th. Royal Bank of Canada cut their price objective on Union Pacific from $288.00 to $283.00 and set an “outperform” rating for the company in a research report on Friday, October 25th. Loop Capital downgraded Union Pacific from a “hold” rating to a “sell” rating and cut their price objective for the stock from $265.00 to $200.00 in a research report on Monday, February 3rd. Stifel Nicolaus lifted their target price on Union Pacific from $253.00 to $270.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research report on Friday, January 24th. Finally, JPMorgan Chase & Co. dropped their target price on Union Pacific from $263.00 to $252.00 and set a “neutral” rating for the company in a research report on Friday, October 25th. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, seven have issued 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, Union Pacific presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $261.40.

Union Pacific Price Performance

UNP stock opened at $250.96 on Friday. The business has a 50 day moving average price of $235.70 and a 200 day moving average price of $240.36. The stock has a market cap of $152.15 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 22.63, a PEG ratio of 2.11 and a beta of 1.06. Union Pacific Co. has a fifty-two week low of $218.55 and a fifty-two week high of $258.66. The company has a quick ratio of 0.63, a current ratio of 0.77 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.76.

Union Pacific (NYSE:UNP) last posted its earnings results on Thursday, January 23rd. The railroad operator reported $2.91 earnings per share for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $2.76 by $0.15. Union Pacific had a return on equity of 41.12% and a net margin of 27.82%. During the same quarter in the previous year, the business earned $2.71 earnings per share. Equities research analysts anticipate that Union Pacific Co. will post 12.01 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Union Pacific Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, March 31st. Investors of record on Friday, February 28th will be paid a dividend of $1.34 per share. This represents a $5.36 annualized dividend and a yield of 2.14%. The ex-dividend date is Friday, February 28th. Union Pacific’s payout ratio is 48.33%.

Insider Buying and Selling at Union Pacific

In other Union Pacific news, President Elizabeth F. Whited sold 7,500 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, January 24th. The stock was sold at an average price of $250.00, for a total value of $1,875,000.00. Following the completion of the sale, the president now owns 64,960 shares in the company, valued at approximately $16,240,000. The trade was a 10.35 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. Also, EVP Craig V. Richardson sold 6,495 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, January 27th. The shares were sold at an average price of $252.00, for a total value of $1,636,740.00. Following the completion of the sale, the executive vice president now owns 26,319 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $6,632,388. This represents a 19.79 % decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. 0.28% of the stock is owned by company insiders.

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.