Union Pacific Co. (NYSE:UNP) Shares Sold by Penobscot Investment Management Company Inc.

Penobscot Investment Management Company Inc. lessened its position in Union Pacific Co. (NYSE:UNP) by 5.5% during the fourth quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the SEC. The institutional investor owned 17,056 shares of the railroad operator’s stock after selling 1,001 shares during the period. Penobscot Investment Management Company Inc.’s holdings in Union Pacific were worth $3,889,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Other institutional investors have also modified their holdings of the company. Howard Capital Management Group LLC raised its holdings in shares of Union Pacific by 16.4% in the 3rd quarter. Howard Capital Management Group LLC now owns 2,860 shares of the railroad operator’s stock worth $705,000 after purchasing an additional 403 shares in the last quarter. Larson Financial Group LLC increased its holdings in shares of Union Pacific by 10.7% in the third quarter. Larson Financial Group LLC now owns 2,181 shares of the railroad operator’s stock valued at $537,000 after buying an additional 210 shares in the last quarter. DRW Securities LLC boosted its stake in shares of Union Pacific by 391.0% during the 3rd quarter. DRW Securities LLC now owns 6,624 shares of the railroad operator’s stock worth $1,633,000 after acquiring an additional 5,275 shares in the last quarter. Loomis Sayles & Co. L P grew its holdings in shares of Union Pacific by 40.2% in the 3rd quarter. Loomis Sayles & Co. L P now owns 30,837 shares of the railroad operator’s stock worth $7,601,000 after acquiring an additional 8,847 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Hancock Whitney Corp raised its position in shares of Union Pacific by 2.3% during the third quarter. Hancock Whitney Corp now owns 3,175 shares of the railroad operator’s stock worth $783,000 after purchasing an additional 71 shares during the period. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 80.38% of the company’s stock.

Analyst Ratings Changes

UNP has been the topic of several analyst reports. Benchmark lifted their target price on shares of Union Pacific from $266.00 to $275.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research report on Friday, January 24th. Raymond James reissued a “strong-buy” rating and set a $285.00 target price (up from $265.00) on shares of Union Pacific in a research note on Friday, January 24th. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft started coverage on Union Pacific in a research report on Friday, March 7th. They issued a “buy” rating and a $295.00 target price for the company. BMO Capital Markets upped their price target on Union Pacific from $275.00 to $277.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a research report on Friday, January 24th. Finally, Guggenheim lifted their target price on Union Pacific from $266.00 to $275.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research note on Friday, January 24th. One analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, seven have issued a hold rating, thirteen have assigned a buy rating and one has issued a strong buy rating to the company. According to MarketBeat.com, the stock currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $263.00.

Union Pacific Price Performance

Shares of UNP stock opened at $235.90 on Wednesday. Union Pacific Co. has a 12 month low of $218.55 and a 12 month high of $258.07. The company has a market capitalization of $142.55 billion, a P/E ratio of 21.27, a P/E/G ratio of 2.15 and a beta of 1.05. The stock has a 50 day moving average of $242.98 and a two-hundred day moving average of $239.73. The company has a current ratio of 0.77, a quick ratio of 0.62 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.76.

Union Pacific (NYSE:UNP) last issued its earnings results on Thursday, January 23rd. The railroad operator reported $2.91 EPS for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate 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 period in the previous year, the company earned $2.71 earnings per share. As a group, equities analysts expect that Union Pacific Co. will post 11.99 EPS for the current year.

Union Pacific Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, March 31st. Investors of record on Friday, February 28th will be paid a $1.34 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, February 28th. This represents a $5.36 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 2.27%. Union Pacific’s payout ratio is currently 48.33%.

Insider Buying and Selling

In other news, EVP Craig V. Richardson sold 6,495 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, January 27th. The stock was sold at an average price of $252.00, for a total value of $1,636,740.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the executive vice president now directly owns 26,319 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $6,632,388. This represents a 19.79 % decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is accessible through the SEC website. Also, President Elizabeth F. Whited sold 7,500 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction on Friday, January 24th. The shares were sold at an average price of $250.00, for a total value of $1,875,000.00. Following the completion of the sale, the president now owns 64,960 shares in the company, valued at $16,240,000. This trade represents a 10.35 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Company insiders own 0.28% of the company’s stock.

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.