Stokes Capital Advisors LLC Reduces Holdings in Union Pacific Co. (NYSE:UNP)

Stokes Capital Advisors LLC trimmed its holdings in Union Pacific Co. (NYSE:UNP) by 4.0% during the second quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 26,043 shares of the railroad operator’s stock after selling 1,084 shares during the period. Stokes Capital Advisors LLC’s holdings in Union Pacific were worth $5,892,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Other large investors have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Desjardins Global Asset Management Inc. grew its position in shares of Union Pacific by 1.4% during the 4th quarter. Desjardins Global Asset Management Inc. now owns 3,000 shares of the railroad operator’s stock valued at $737,000 after buying an additional 41 shares during the last quarter. Daiwa Securities Group Inc. increased its holdings in shares of Union Pacific by 5.6% in the 4th quarter. Daiwa Securities Group Inc. now owns 59,034 shares of the railroad operator’s stock worth $14,500,000 after acquiring an additional 3,143 shares during the period. Livforsakringsbolaget Skandia Omsesidigt increased its stake in shares of Union Pacific by 69.2% in the fourth quarter. Livforsakringsbolaget Skandia Omsesidigt now owns 1,628 shares of the railroad operator’s stock valued at $400,000 after purchasing an additional 666 shares during the period. WestHill Financial Advisors Inc. acquired a new position in shares of Union Pacific during the fourth quarter valued at $221,000. Finally, Twin Capital Management Inc. lifted its stake in shares of Union Pacific by 3.0% in the 4th quarter. Twin Capital Management Inc. now owns 1,394 shares of the railroad operator’s stock worth $342,000 after acquiring an additional 41 shares during the period. 80.38% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In related news, President Elizabeth F. Whited sold 3,552 shares of the stock in a transaction on Tuesday, July 30th. The stock was 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 approximately $16,014,787.55. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. Company insiders own 0.28% of the company’s stock.

Union Pacific Stock Up 0.3 %

UNP traded up $0.82 during trading hours on Friday, hitting $244.53. 1,951,386 shares of the company’s stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 2,282,628. The stock has a market cap of $148.97 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 23.33, a PEG ratio of 2.13 and a beta of 1.06. The stock’s 50-day moving average is $232.77 and its two-hundred day moving average is $239.02. The company has a quick ratio of 0.86, a current ratio of 1.05 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.89. Union Pacific Co. has a 1-year low of $199.33 and a 1-year high of $258.66.

Union Pacific (NYSE:UNP) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, July 25th. The railroad operator reported $2.74 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $2.71 by $0.03. The firm had revenue of $6.01 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $6.05 billion. Union Pacific had a net margin of 26.90% and a return on equity of 42.62%. The company’s quarterly revenue was up .7% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period in the prior year, the firm posted $2.57 earnings per share. Sell-side analysts predict that Union Pacific Co. will post 11.12 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Union Pacific Increases Dividend

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, September 30th. Investors of record on Friday, August 30th will be issued a dividend of $1.34 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, August 30th. This represents a $5.36 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 2.19%. This is a boost from Union Pacific’s previous quarterly dividend of $1.30. Union Pacific’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 49.62%.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

UNP has been the subject of a number of research reports. StockNews.com cut shares of Union Pacific from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a report on Tuesday, June 18th. Loop Capital cut Union Pacific from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating and lowered their target price for the company from $276.00 to $238.00 in a research note on Monday, June 17th. Morgan Stanley raised their price objective 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. Wells Fargo & Company started coverage on shares of Union Pacific in a research note on Friday, June 7th. They issued an “overweight” rating and a $270.00 price objective for the company. Finally, Susquehanna cut their target price on shares of Union Pacific from $270.00 to $250.00 and set a “neutral” rating for the company in a research report on Tuesday, June 25th. Seven investment analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, twelve have given a buy rating and one has issued a strong buy rating to the company’s stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, Union Pacific has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $258.79.

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.