Empirical Financial Services LLC d.b.a. Empirical Wealth Management Purchases 1,104 Shares of Union Pacific Co. (NYSE:UNP)

Empirical Financial Services LLC d.b.a. Empirical Wealth Management grew its position in Union Pacific Co. (NYSE:UNP) by 17.5% in the fourth quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The firm owned 7,416 shares of the railroad operator’s stock after acquiring an additional 1,104 shares during the period. Empirical Financial Services LLC d.b.a. Empirical Wealth Management’s holdings in Union Pacific were worth $1,822,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Other hedge funds and other institutional investors also recently modified their holdings of the company. BluePath Capital Management LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Union Pacific during the 3rd quarter worth about $25,000. Valued Wealth Advisors LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Union Pacific during the 4th quarter worth about $28,000. Stuart Chaussee & Associates Inc. acquired a new stake in shares of Union Pacific during the 4th quarter worth about $36,000. Fortitude Family Office LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Union Pacific during the 4th quarter worth about $44,000. Finally, AJOVista LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Union Pacific during the 4th quarter worth about $100,000. Institutional investors own 80.38% of the company’s stock.

Insider Transactions at Union Pacific

In other news, President Elizabeth F. Whited sold 3,750 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, February 15th. The shares were sold at an average price of $250.00, for a total value of $937,500.00. Following the transaction, the president now owns 56,682 shares in the company, valued at approximately $14,170,500. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through the SEC website. Corporate insiders own 0.26% of the company’s stock.

Union Pacific Trading Up 1.4 %

UNP traded up $3.26 during trading on Tuesday, reaching $242.47. 1,585,332 shares of the company’s stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 2,293,755. Union Pacific Co. has a one year low of $190.71 and a one year high of $258.66. The company has a current ratio of 0.93, a quick ratio of 0.76 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.99. The stock has a market capitalization of $147.94 billion, a PE ratio of 23.14, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.55 and a beta of 1.06. The firm has a fifty day moving average price of $242.47 and a two-hundred day moving average price of $236.79.

Union Pacific (NYSE:UNP) last posted its earnings results on Thursday, April 25th. The railroad operator reported $2.69 earnings per share for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $2.50 by $0.19. Union Pacific had a net margin of 26.52% and a return on equity of 44.34%. The firm had revenue of $6.03 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $5.97 billion. During the same period in the previous year, the firm posted $2.67 EPS. The company’s revenue for the quarter was down .4% compared to the same quarter last year. As a group, equities research analysts forecast that Union Pacific Co. will post 11.21 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Union Pacific Dividend Announcement

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, March 29th. Stockholders of record on Thursday, February 29th were given a $1.30 dividend. The ex-dividend date was Wednesday, February 28th. This represents a $5.20 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 2.14%. Union Pacific’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 49.62%.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

UNP has been the subject of a number of research reports. Jefferies Financial Group assumed coverage on shares of Union Pacific in a research note on Monday, April 8th. They set a “hold” rating and a $250.00 target price for the company. TD Cowen lifted their price objective on shares of Union Pacific from $252.00 to $258.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research note on Friday, April 26th. Morgan Stanley boosted their target price on shares of Union Pacific from $198.00 to $210.00 and gave the company an “equal weight” rating in a research report on Friday, April 26th. Evercore ISI boosted their target price on shares of Union Pacific from $271.00 to $273.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a research report on Friday, April 26th. Finally, BMO Capital Markets boosted their target price on shares of Union Pacific from $270.00 to $275.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a research report on Friday, January 26th. Six investment analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, fourteen have given a buy rating and one has assigned a strong buy rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, Union Pacific presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $259.61.

Union Pacific 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.