Blume Capital Management Inc. Grows Stock Holdings in Union Pacific Corporation $UNP

Blume Capital Management Inc. boosted its position in Union Pacific Corporation (NYSE:UNP) by 202.5% in the 4th quarter, Holdings Channel reports. The fund owned 4,537 shares of the railroad operator’s stock after purchasing an additional 3,037 shares during the period. Blume Capital Management Inc.’s holdings in Union Pacific were worth $1,049,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also recently bought and sold shares of the company. Rachor Investment Advisory Services LLC purchased a new stake in Union Pacific in the 4th quarter worth approximately $25,000. Tucker Asset Management LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Union Pacific during the 4th quarter valued at $25,000. High Point Wealth Management LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Union Pacific during the 4th quarter valued at $26,000. Caitlin John LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Union Pacific during the 3rd quarter valued at $27,000. Finally, Saranac Partners Ltd purchased a new stake in shares of Union Pacific during the 3rd quarter valued at $27,000. 80.38% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Insider Activity at Union Pacific

In related news, EVP Eric J. Gehringer sold 1,999 shares of Union Pacific stock in a transaction on Friday, March 20th. The shares were sold at an average price of $234.93, for a total transaction of $469,625.07. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is accessible through this hyperlink. Also, CFO Jennifer L. Hamann sold 2,000 shares of Union Pacific stock in a transaction on Friday, April 24th. The shares were sold at an average price of $274.70, for a total transaction of $549,400.00. Following the transaction, the chief financial officer owned 114,642 shares in the company, valued at $31,492,157.40. The trade was a 1.71% decrease in their position. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. In the last 90 days, insiders have sold 31,386 shares of company stock worth $8,461,716. 0.22% of the stock is currently owned by corporate insiders.

Union Pacific Stock Performance

NYSE:UNP opened at $270.58 on Monday. The company has a current ratio of 0.92, a quick ratio of 0.73 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.53. The firm has a market capitalization of $160.65 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 22.29, a PEG ratio of 2.87 and a beta of 0.99. The firm’s fifty day simple moving average is $252.29 and its 200 day simple moving average is $242.23. Union Pacific Corporation has a twelve month low of $210.84 and a twelve month high of $274.79.

Union Pacific (NYSE:UNP) last posted its earnings results on Thursday, April 23rd. The railroad operator reported $2.93 earnings per share for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $2.86 by $0.07. The business had revenue of $6.22 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $6.12 billion. Union Pacific had a net margin of 29.20% and a return on equity of 39.58%. The business’s quarterly revenue was up 3.2% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter in the previous year, the business posted $2.70 EPS. As a group, equities research analysts expect that Union Pacific Corporation will post 12.53 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Union Pacific Announces Dividend

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, June 30th. Investors of record on Friday, May 29th will be issued a dividend of $1.38 per share. The ex-dividend date is Friday, May 29th. This represents a $5.52 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 2.0%. Union Pacific’s payout ratio is presently 45.47%.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several brokerages have recently issued reports on UNP. BMO Capital Markets reissued a “market perform” rating and set a $285.00 price objective (up from $278.00) on shares of Union Pacific in a research note on Friday, April 24th. The Goldman Sachs Group reissued a “neutral” rating and set a $267.00 price objective on shares of Union Pacific in a research note on Tuesday, January 27th. TD Cowen boosted their price objective on shares of Union Pacific from $256.00 to $282.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research note on Friday, April 24th. Wells Fargo & Company reissued an “overweight” rating and set a $300.00 price objective (up from $260.00) on shares of Union Pacific in a research note on Friday, April 24th. Finally, Raymond James Financial set a $310.00 price objective on shares of Union Pacific in a research note on Friday, April 24th. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, twelve have assigned a Buy rating and eight have issued a Hold rating to the company’s stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, Union Pacific has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $280.47.

About Union Pacific

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.