Ferguson Wellman Capital Management Inc. Purchases 275 Shares of Union Pacific Co. (NYSE:UNP)

Ferguson Wellman Capital Management Inc. increased its position in shares of Union Pacific Co. (NYSE:UNP) by 0.6% during the 1st quarter, according to the company in its most recent Form 13F filing with the SEC. The fund owned 49,091 shares of the railroad operator’s stock after purchasing an additional 275 shares during the quarter. Ferguson Wellman Capital Management Inc.’s holdings in Union Pacific were worth $11,597,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Other institutional investors have also added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Fiduciary Trust Co increased its position in shares of Union Pacific by 2.8% during the 4th quarter. Fiduciary Trust Co now owns 102,213 shares of the railroad operator’s stock valued at $23,309,000 after purchasing an additional 2,807 shares during the last quarter. Sherbrooke Park Advisers LLC bought a new stake in Union Pacific in the fourth quarter worth about $781,000. Pinnbrook Capital Management LP purchased a new position in Union Pacific in the fourth quarter valued at about $3,954,000. Miramar Capital LLC grew its position in shares of Union Pacific by 3.1% during the 4th quarter. Miramar Capital LLC now owns 54,564 shares of the railroad operator’s stock valued at $12,443,000 after acquiring an additional 1,648 shares during the period. Finally, Portfolio Design Labs LLC increased its stake in shares of Union Pacific by 19.8% during the 4th quarter. Portfolio Design Labs LLC now owns 7,703 shares of the railroad operator’s stock worth $1,757,000 after purchasing an additional 1,273 shares during the last quarter. 80.38% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

Union Pacific Stock Performance

Shares of NYSE UNP opened at $225.70 on Thursday. The stock’s 50-day moving average is $220.28 and its 200 day moving average is $231.96. The stock has a market cap of $134.85 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 20.35, a P/E/G ratio of 2.15 and a beta of 1.05. Union Pacific Co. has a 1-year low of $204.66 and a 1-year high of $258.07. 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 posted its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, April 24th. The railroad operator reported $2.70 EPS for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $2.73 by ($0.03). The business had revenue of $6.03 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $6.11 billion. Union Pacific had a return on equity of 41.12% and a net margin of 27.82%. The company’s revenue was down .1% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period last year, the business posted $2.69 earnings per share. On average, sell-side analysts anticipate that Union Pacific Co. will post 11.99 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Union Pacific Announces Dividend

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, June 30th. Investors of record on Friday, May 30th will be given a $1.34 dividend. This represents a $5.36 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 2.37%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, May 30th. Union Pacific’s payout ratio is presently 48.29%.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

Several equities analysts recently commented on UNP shares. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft started coverage on Union Pacific in a research note on Friday, March 7th. They issued a “buy” rating and a $295.00 price objective on the stock. Argus upgraded Union Pacific to a “strong-buy” rating in a research note on Friday, May 16th. Stephens lowered their price objective on Union Pacific from $275.00 to $255.00 and set an “overweight” rating on the stock in a research note on Monday, April 28th. Bank of America increased their target price on shares of Union Pacific from $256.00 to $262.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research report on Friday, May 16th. Finally, Susquehanna lowered their price target on shares of Union Pacific from $255.00 to $245.00 and set a “neutral” rating on the stock in a research report on Friday, April 25th. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, seven have given a hold rating, fifteen have given a buy rating and two have assigned a strong buy rating to the company’s stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $257.74.

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.