SPC Financial Inc. Buys 511 Shares of Union Pacific Co. (NYSE:UNP)

SPC Financial Inc. increased its position in Union Pacific Co. (NYSE:UNP) by 10.5% during the second quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The institutional investor owned 5,368 shares of the railroad operator’s stock after purchasing an additional 511 shares during the period. SPC Financial Inc.’s holdings in Union Pacific were worth $1,215,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Several other institutional investors also recently bought and sold shares of the company. OLD Point Trust & Financial Services N A purchased a new stake in shares of Union Pacific during the fourth quarter valued at approximately $25,000. Richardson Capital Management LLC purchased a new stake in Union Pacific during the 1st quarter valued at $26,000. Raleigh Capital Management Inc. increased its holdings in shares of Union Pacific by 211.4% in the 4th quarter. Raleigh Capital Management Inc. now owns 109 shares of the railroad operator’s stock worth $27,000 after purchasing an additional 74 shares in the last quarter. Cultivar Capital Inc. bought a new stake in shares of Union Pacific in the 2nd quarter worth $27,000. Finally, Scarborough Advisors LLC purchased a new position in shares of Union Pacific in the fourth quarter worth $29,000. 80.38% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Union Pacific Stock Performance

UNP opened at $246.48 on Tuesday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.89, a quick ratio of 0.86 and a current ratio of 1.05. The stock has a market capitalization of $150.16 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 23.52, a PEG ratio of 2.25 and a beta of 1.05. The company has a fifty day moving average of $245.87 and a 200 day moving average of $238.82. 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 issued its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, July 25th. The railroad operator reported $2.74 earnings per share for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $2.71 by $0.03. The firm had revenue of $6.01 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $6.05 billion. Union Pacific had a return on equity of 42.62% and a net margin of 26.90%. The business’s quarterly revenue was up .7% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter last year, the business posted $2.57 earnings per share. As a group, sell-side analysts forecast that Union Pacific Co. will post 11.1 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Union Pacific Increases Dividend

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Monday, September 30th. Stockholders of record on Friday, August 30th were issued a dividend of $1.34 per share. This represents a $5.36 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 2.17%. This is a boost from Union Pacific’s previous quarterly dividend of $1.30. The ex-dividend date was Friday, August 30th. Union Pacific’s dividend payout ratio is 51.15%.

Insider Activity

In related news, President Elizabeth F. Whited sold 3,552 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction on Tuesday, July 30th. The shares were sold at an average price of $246.59, for a total value of $875,887.68. Following the sale, the president now owns 64,945 shares in the company, valued at $16,014,787.55. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at the SEC website. Corporate insiders own 0.28% of the company’s stock.

Analyst Ratings Changes

UNP has been the topic of several recent analyst reports. TD Cowen dropped their price objective on Union Pacific from $259.00 to $255.00 and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a research report on Friday, July 26th. StockNews.com downgraded shares of Union Pacific from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research report on Tuesday. Susquehanna reduced their price objective on Union Pacific from $270.00 to $250.00 and set a “neutral” rating for the company in a research report on Tuesday, June 25th. Barclays lowered their price objective on shares of Union Pacific from $290.00 to $280.00 and set an “overweight” rating on the stock in a research note on Friday, July 26th. Finally, Stifel Nicolaus cut their target price on shares of 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 investment analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, eleven have assigned a buy rating and one has assigned a strong buy rating to the company’s stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the company currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $258.79.

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.