Kendall Capital Management Cuts Stock Position in Union Pacific Co. (NYSE:UNP)

Kendall Capital Management decreased its holdings in shares of Union Pacific Co. (NYSE:UNP) by 6.6% during the fourth quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the SEC. The fund owned 1,417 shares of the railroad operator’s stock after selling 100 shares during the period. Kendall Capital Management’s holdings in Union Pacific were worth $323,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

A number of other large investors have also modified their holdings of UNP. Compass Financial Services Inc acquired a new stake in shares of Union Pacific during the fourth quarter worth about $25,000. Synergy Asset Management LLC acquired a new position in Union Pacific in the fourth quarter valued at approximately $29,000. Peterson Financial Group Inc. purchased a new stake in shares of Union Pacific in the third quarter valued at approximately $32,000. Dunhill Financial LLC increased its position in shares of Union Pacific by 111.5% in the third quarter. Dunhill Financial LLC now owns 129 shares of the railroad operator’s stock valued at $32,000 after buying an additional 68 shares in the last quarter. Finally, PrairieView Partners LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Union Pacific in the fourth quarter valued at approximately $34,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 80.38% of the company’s stock.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

UNP has been the subject of several research reports. Robert W. Baird boosted their price target on Union Pacific from $260.00 to $265.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a research report on Friday, January 24th. Citigroup upped their target price on Union Pacific from $254.00 to $260.00 and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a report on Friday, January 24th. Benchmark upped their price target on Union Pacific from $266.00 to $275.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research note on Friday, January 24th. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft initiated coverage on Union Pacific in a research note on Friday. They issued a “buy” rating and a $295.00 price target on the stock. Finally, Loop Capital lowered Union Pacific from a “hold” rating to a “sell” rating and decreased their target price for the stock from $265.00 to $200.00 in a research note on Monday, February 3rd. One analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, seven have given a hold rating, thirteen have assigned a buy rating and one has assigned a strong buy rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat.com, Union Pacific has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $263.00.

Union Pacific Stock Performance

Union Pacific stock opened at $249.84 on Monday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.76, a quick ratio of 0.62 and a current ratio of 0.77. The stock has a fifty day moving average of $241.04 and a two-hundred day moving average of $240.95. The company has a market capitalization of $150.98 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 22.53, a PEG ratio of 2.15 and a beta of 1.05. Union Pacific Co. has a fifty-two week low of $218.55 and a fifty-two week high of $258.07.

Union Pacific (NYSE:UNP) last released its quarterly 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 prior year, the business earned $2.71 earnings per share. On average, analysts anticipate that Union Pacific Co. will post 11.99 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Union Pacific Announces Dividend

The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, March 31st. Stockholders of record on Friday, February 28th will be given a $1.34 dividend. This represents a $5.36 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 2.15%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, February 28th. Union Pacific’s dividend payout ratio is currently 48.33%.

Insider Activity

In other news, President Elizabeth F. Whited sold 7,500 shares of Union Pacific stock in a transaction 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 of the company’s stock, valued at $16,240,000. The trade was a 10.35 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at the SEC website. Also, EVP Craig V. Richardson sold 6,495 shares of Union Pacific stock in a transaction 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 directly 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. Company insiders own 0.28% of the company’s stock.

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.