Heartland Bank & Trust Co Makes New Investment in Union Pacific Corporation $UNP

Heartland Bank & Trust Co acquired a new stake in shares of Union Pacific Corporation (NYSE:UNP) in the 2nd quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the SEC. The institutional investor acquired 3,076 shares of the railroad operator’s stock, valued at approximately $837,000.

A number of other institutional investors have also recently made changes to their positions in UNP. Rachor Investment Advisory Services LLC purchased a new stake in Union Pacific in the fourth quarter valued at about $25,000. Tucker Asset Management LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Union Pacific during the fourth quarter worth about $25,000. SWAN Capital LLC increased its holdings in shares of Union Pacific by 2,575.0% during the fourth quarter. SWAN Capital LLC now owns 107 shares of the railroad operator’s stock valued at $25,000 after acquiring an additional 103 shares in the last quarter. High Point Wealth Management LLC acquired a new position in shares of Union Pacific during the fourth quarter valued at about $26,000. Finally, Cornerstone Financial Management LLC purchased a new position in shares of Union Pacific in the 4th quarter valued at approximately $27,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 80.38% of the company’s stock.

Union Pacific Stock Up 1.3%

Union Pacific stock opened at $307.97 on Friday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.40, a current ratio of 0.99 and a quick ratio of 0.82. The stock has a market capitalization of $182.96 billion, a PE ratio of 24.94, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 3.10 and a beta of 0.96. The business has a 50 day simple moving average of $286.30 and a 200-day simple moving average of $267.60. Union Pacific Corporation has a 12 month low of $210.84 and a 12 month high of $315.99.

Union Pacific (NYSE:UNP) last released its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, July 23rd. The railroad operator reported $3.41 earnings per share for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $3.26 by $0.15. Union Pacific had a net margin of 28.85% and a return on equity of 38.46%. The firm had revenue of $6.86 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $6.72 billion. During the same quarter in the prior year, the firm earned $3.03 EPS. The company’s revenue for the quarter was up 11.5% on a year-over-year basis. On average, analysts anticipate that Union Pacific Corporation will post 12.93 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Union Pacific Increases Dividend

The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, September 30th. Shareholders of record on Monday, August 31st will be issued a $1.42 dividend. This represents a $5.68 annualized dividend and a yield of 1.8%. The ex-dividend date is Monday, August 31st. This is an increase from Union Pacific’s previous quarterly dividend of $1.38. Union Pacific’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 44.70%.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

UNP has been the subject of a number of recent analyst reports. UBS Group reiterated a “neutral” rating and issued a $310.00 target price (up from $286.00) on shares of Union Pacific in a research note on Friday, July 24th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. raised their price target on shares of Union Pacific from $304.00 to $334.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a report on Friday, July 24th. Citigroup lifted their price objective on shares of Union Pacific from $326.00 to $349.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research note on Friday, July 24th. Wells Fargo & Company reissued an “overweight” rating and set a $335.00 price objective (up from $315.00) on shares of Union Pacific in a report on Friday, July 24th. Finally, Raymond James Financial reissued a “strong-buy” rating on shares of Union Pacific in a research report on Monday, July 13th. Two research analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, thirteen have issued a Buy rating and six have assigned a Hold rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the stock currently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $320.89.

Insider Activity

In related news, EVP Eric J. Gehringer sold 2,991 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, June 3rd. The shares were sold at an average price of $263.96, for a total value of $789,504.36. Following the completion of the sale, the executive vice president owned 43,012 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $11,353,447.52. This represents a 6.50% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which can be accessed through this link. 0.22% of the stock is owned by company insiders.

Union Pacific Company Profile

Union Pacific Corporation (NYSE: UNP) is one of the largest freight railroad companies in the United States. Its principal operating subsidiary, Union Pacific Railroad, has roots that trace back to the Pacific Railway Act of 1862 and the construction of the first transcontinental rail link completed in 1869. The company is headquartered in Omaha, Nebraska, and operates as a holding company for rail transportation and related services.

Union Pacific’s core business is the movement of freight by rail across an extensive rail network serving the western two‑thirds of the United States.