Raymond James Financial Services Advisors Inc. Acquires 28,706 Shares of Union Pacific Co. (NYSE:UNP)

Raymond James Financial Services Advisors Inc. lifted its stake in Union Pacific Co. (NYSE:UNP) by 2.4% in the 1st quarter, HoldingsChannel reports. The institutional investor owned 1,226,710 shares of the railroad operator’s stock after purchasing an additional 28,706 shares during the quarter. Raymond James Financial Services Advisors Inc.’s holdings in Union Pacific were worth $301,685,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

A number of other large investors have also added to or reduced their stakes in the stock. BluePath Capital Management LLC bought a new stake in shares of Union Pacific during the 3rd quarter worth approximately $25,000. OLD Point Trust & Financial Services N A acquired a new stake in shares of Union Pacific in the 4th quarter valued at $25,000. Richardson Capital Management LLC bought a new position in shares of Union Pacific in the 1st quarter valued at $26,000. Raleigh Capital Management Inc. lifted its position in shares of Union Pacific by 211.4% during the 4th quarter. Raleigh Capital Management Inc. now owns 109 shares of the railroad operator’s stock worth $27,000 after buying an additional 74 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Valued Wealth Advisors LLC acquired a new stake in Union Pacific in the fourth quarter valued at about $28,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 80.38% of the company’s stock.

Union Pacific Stock Down 1.6 %

UNP traded down $3.82 during midday trading on Tuesday, hitting $237.13. The company had a trading volume of 1,737,004 shares, compared to its average volume of 2,318,918. The stock’s 50 day moving average price is $243.95 and its 200 day moving average price is $235.77. Union Pacific Co. has a 52 week low of $190.71 and a 52 week high of $258.66. The company has a market capitalization of $144.68 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 22.63, a PEG ratio of 2.61 and a beta of 1.07. The company has a quick ratio of 0.76, a current ratio of 0.93 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.99.

Union Pacific (NYSE:UNP) last issued its earnings results on Thursday, April 25th. The railroad operator reported $2.69 EPS for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $2.50 by $0.19. The business had revenue of $6.03 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $5.97 billion. Union Pacific had a return on equity of 44.34% and a net margin of 26.52%. The firm’s revenue was down .4% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period in the previous year, the company posted $2.67 EPS. On average, research analysts anticipate that Union Pacific Co. will post 11.08 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Union Pacific Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, March 29th. Investors of record on Thursday, February 29th were given a $1.30 dividend. This represents a $5.20 annualized dividend and a yield of 2.19%. The ex-dividend date was Wednesday, February 28th. Union Pacific’s payout ratio is currently 49.62%.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several research analysts have commented on the company. Stifel Nicolaus boosted their target price on Union Pacific from $231.00 to $248.00 and gave the stock a “hold” rating in a research note on Friday, April 12th. Susquehanna boosted their target price on shares of Union Pacific from $255.00 to $270.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a research note on Friday. The Goldman Sachs Group upped their price target on shares of Union Pacific from $248.00 to $274.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a report on Thursday, April 11th. Raymond James reissued a “strong-buy” rating and set a $280.00 price objective (up previously from $275.00) on shares of Union Pacific in a report on Friday. Finally, Evercore ISI upped their target price on Union Pacific from $271.00 to $273.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a report on Friday. Seven equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, thirteen have given a buy rating and one has issued a strong buy rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat.com, Union Pacific has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $258.78.

Insider Buying and Selling at Union Pacific

In other Union Pacific news, President Elizabeth F. Whited sold 3,750 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction 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 directly owns 56,682 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $14,170,500. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this link. 0.26% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders.

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.