D L Carlson Investment Group Inc. Buys 370 Shares of Union Pacific Co. (NYSE:UNP)

D L Carlson Investment Group Inc. raised its stake in shares of Union Pacific Co. (NYSE:UNP) by 22.6% during the 4th quarter, HoldingsChannel.com reports. The firm owned 2,007 shares of the railroad operator’s stock after acquiring an additional 370 shares during the quarter. D L Carlson Investment Group Inc.’s holdings in Union Pacific were worth $458,000 as of its most recent filing with the SEC.

Other large investors have also made changes to their positions in the company. Partners in Financial Planning acquired a new stake in shares of Union Pacific during the 4th quarter worth approximately $274,000. O Shaughnessy Asset Management LLC lifted its position in Union Pacific by 17.3% in the fourth quarter. O Shaughnessy Asset Management LLC now owns 127,758 shares of the railroad operator’s stock worth $29,134,000 after purchasing an additional 18,886 shares during the period. Clearbridge Investments LLC increased its holdings in Union Pacific by 9.3% in the 4th quarter. Clearbridge Investments LLC now owns 4,649,767 shares of the railroad operator’s stock valued at $1,060,333,000 after buying an additional 397,185 shares during the period. ClearBridge Investments Ltd raised its stake in shares of Union Pacific by 2.8% in the 4th quarter. ClearBridge Investments Ltd now owns 988,458 shares of the railroad operator’s stock valued at $225,408,000 after buying an additional 26,489 shares in the last quarter. Finally, RWA Wealth Partners LLC lifted its holdings in shares of Union Pacific by 4.1% during the 4th quarter. RWA Wealth Partners LLC now owns 116,916 shares of the railroad operator’s stock worth $26,661,000 after acquiring an additional 4,592 shares during the period. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 80.38% of the company’s stock.

Union Pacific Price Performance

Shares of UNP stock opened at $232.06 on Monday. The firm’s 50 day moving average price is $243.11 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $239.41. The stock has a market cap of $140.23 billion, a PE ratio of 20.93, a PEG ratio of 2.15 and a beta of 1.05. Union Pacific Co. has a 52-week low of $218.55 and a 52-week high of $258.07. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.76, a quick ratio of 0.62 and a current ratio of 0.77.

Union Pacific (NYSE:UNP) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, January 23rd. The railroad operator reported $2.91 EPS for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates 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 firm earned $2.71 earnings per share. As a group, analysts forecast that Union Pacific Co. will post 11.99 EPS for the current year.

Union Pacific Announces Dividend

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, March 31st. Stockholders of record on Friday, February 28th will be paid a $1.34 dividend. The ex-dividend date is Friday, February 28th. This represents a $5.36 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 2.31%. Union Pacific’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 48.33%.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

A number of research firms recently weighed in on UNP. Raymond James reissued a “strong-buy” rating and issued a $285.00 target price (up previously from $265.00) on shares of Union Pacific in a research note on Friday, January 24th. Loop Capital cut Union Pacific from a “hold” rating to a “sell” rating and dropped their target price for the stock from $265.00 to $200.00 in a report on Monday, February 3rd. Citigroup raised their target price on Union Pacific from $254.00 to $260.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a research report on Friday, January 24th. TD Cowen increased their price objective on Union Pacific from $245.00 to $258.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research note on Friday, January 24th. Finally, Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft began coverage on shares of Union Pacific in a research note on Friday, March 7th. They issued a “buy” rating and a $295.00 target price on the stock. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, seven have given a hold rating, thirteen have issued a buy rating and one has assigned a strong buy rating to the company’s stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, Union Pacific presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $262.76.

Insider Activity at Union Pacific

In other news, EVP Craig V. Richardson sold 6,495 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction dated Monday, January 27th. The stock was sold at an average price of $252.00, for a total transaction of $1,636,740.00. Following the sale, the executive vice president now owns 26,319 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $6,632,388. This trade represents a 19.79 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available through this hyperlink. Also, President Elizabeth F. Whited sold 7,500 shares of the 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 sale, the president now directly owns 64,960 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $16,240,000. The trade was a 10.35 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. 0.28% of the stock is currently owned by corporate insiders.

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.