Synergy Asset Management LLC Increases Stake in Union Pacific Co. (NYSE:UNP)

Synergy Asset Management LLC boosted its holdings in shares of Union Pacific Co. (NYSE:UNP) by 66.5% in the 1st quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The firm owned 12,018 shares of the railroad operator’s stock after buying an additional 4,800 shares during the quarter. Synergy Asset Management LLC’s holdings in Union Pacific were worth $2,956,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

A number of other institutional investors have also added to or reduced their stakes in the stock. Vaughan Nelson Investment Management L.P. lifted its holdings in shares of Union Pacific by 18.2% during the first quarter. Vaughan Nelson Investment Management L.P. now owns 752,078 shares of the railroad operator’s stock worth $184,960,000 after purchasing an additional 115,931 shares during the period. Tributary Capital Management LLC purchased a new position in shares of Union Pacific during the first quarter worth about $30,000. Oak Thistle LLC acquired a new position in shares of Union Pacific during the 1st quarter worth $574,000. Silvia Mccoll Wealth Management LLC raised its stake in Union Pacific by 2.0% in the 1st quarter. Silvia Mccoll Wealth Management LLC now owns 2,532 shares of the railroad operator’s stock valued at $600,000 after purchasing an additional 50 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Claro Advisors LLC grew its position in Union Pacific by 21.8% during the first quarter. Claro Advisors LLC now owns 1,214 shares of the railroad operator’s stock valued at $299,000 after acquiring an additional 217 shares during the period. 80.38% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Union Pacific Price Performance

UNP stock traded down $0.62 during trading on Tuesday, hitting $224.24. The company had a trading volume of 691,458 shares, compared to its average volume of 2,297,454. 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 company has a market cap of $136.81 billion, a P/E ratio of 21.46, a P/E/G ratio of 1.92 and a beta of 1.07. The company has a fifty day moving average price of $233.31 and a two-hundred day moving average price of $240.32. 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, April 25th. The railroad operator reported $2.69 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $2.50 by $0.19. Union Pacific had a net margin of 26.52% and a return on equity of 44.34%. The company had revenue of $6.03 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $5.97 billion. During the same quarter in the prior year, the firm earned $2.67 earnings per share. The firm’s revenue was down .4% compared to the same quarter last year. Equities research analysts expect that Union Pacific Co. will post 11.22 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Union Pacific Announces Dividend

The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, June 28th. Shareholders of record on Friday, May 31st were paid a $1.30 dividend. This represents a $5.20 annualized dividend and a yield of 2.32%. The ex-dividend date was Friday, May 31st. Union Pacific’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 49.62%.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

Several equities analysts have recently issued reports on UNP shares. Raymond James reiterated a “strong-buy” rating and set a $280.00 price target (up from $275.00) on shares of Union Pacific in a research report on Friday, April 26th. Morgan Stanley raised their target price on Union Pacific from $198.00 to $210.00 and gave the company an “equal weight” rating in a research note on Friday, April 26th. Wells Fargo & Company assumed coverage on shares of Union Pacific in a research report on Friday, June 7th. They issued an “overweight” rating and a $270.00 target price for the company. JPMorgan Chase & Co. lifted their target price on shares of Union Pacific from $237.00 to $243.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a report on Tuesday, April 9th. Finally, Evercore ISI boosted their price objective on shares of Union Pacific from $271.00 to $273.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a research note on Friday, April 26th. Eight analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, thirteen have assigned a buy rating and one has given a strong buy rating to the company’s stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the company has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $258.92.

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.