Fairscale Capital LLC Invests $31,000 in Union Pacific Co. (NYSE:UNP)

Fairscale Capital LLC purchased a new stake in Union Pacific Co. (NYSE:UNP) in the 2nd quarter, according to its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The fund purchased 129 shares of the railroad operator’s stock, valued at approximately $31,000.

A number of other institutional investors have also added to or reduced their stakes in the stock. Capital Research Global Investors grew its stake in Union Pacific by 7.6% during the first quarter. Capital Research Global Investors now owns 7,370,752 shares of the railroad operator’s stock valued at $1,812,689,000 after acquiring an additional 518,985 shares in the last quarter. Fisher Asset Management LLC grew its position in shares of Union Pacific by 2.0% during the 4th quarter. Fisher Asset Management LLC now owns 5,856,266 shares of the railroad operator’s stock valued at $1,438,417,000 after purchasing an additional 113,946 shares in the last quarter. Clearbridge Investments LLC increased its holdings in shares of Union Pacific by 5.7% in the first quarter. Clearbridge Investments LLC now owns 4,396,974 shares of the railroad operator’s stock worth $1,081,348,000 after purchasing an additional 237,083 shares during the period. Canada Pension Plan Investment Board raised its position in shares of Union Pacific by 8.3% in the second quarter. Canada Pension Plan Investment Board now owns 4,218,730 shares of the railroad operator’s stock worth $954,530,000 after buying an additional 322,129 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Capital World Investors boosted its stake in Union Pacific by 35.3% during the first quarter. Capital World Investors now owns 4,118,477 shares of the railroad operator’s stock valued at $1,012,857,000 after buying an additional 1,073,625 shares during the period. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 80.38% of the company’s stock.

Union Pacific Stock Down 1.2 %

Shares of NYSE UNP opened at $245.39 on Monday. The firm has a fifty day simple moving average of $245.45 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $238.99. Union Pacific Co. has a 12 month low of $199.33 and a 12 month high of $258.66. The company has a current ratio of 1.05, a quick ratio of 0.86 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.89. The firm has a market capitalization of $149.72 billion, a PE ratio of 23.42, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.24 and a beta of 1.05.

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

Union Pacific Increases Dividend

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, September 30th. Stockholders of record on Friday, August 30th will be paid a $1.34 dividend. This represents a $5.36 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 2.18%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, August 30th. This is a boost from Union Pacific’s previous quarterly dividend of $1.30. Union Pacific’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 51.15%.

Analyst Ratings Changes

UNP has been the subject of several recent analyst reports. Daiwa America lowered Union Pacific from a “moderate buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a report on Wednesday, September 4th. Barclays lowered their price target on Union Pacific from $290.00 to $280.00 and set an “overweight” rating on the stock in a research report on Friday, July 26th. Benchmark reaffirmed a “buy” rating and set a $266.00 price target on shares of Union Pacific in a research note on Monday, July 29th. Loop Capital lowered Union Pacific from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating and reduced their price objective for the company from $276.00 to $238.00 in a research report on Monday, June 17th. Finally, Stifel Nicolaus dropped their target price on Union Pacific from $267.00 to $265.00 and set a “buy” rating for the company in a research report on Wednesday, July 17th. Eight analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, twelve have issued a buy rating and one has given a strong buy rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the stock has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $258.79.

Insider Buying and Selling

In other Union Pacific news, President Elizabeth F. Whited sold 3,552 shares of the firm’s 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 transaction, the president now owns 64,945 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $16,014,787.55. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this link. 0.28% of the stock is owned by 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.