Trust Co. of Vermont Makes New Investment in Union Pacific Corporation $UNP

Trust Co. of Vermont purchased a new stake in shares of Union Pacific Corporation (NYSE:UNP) during the second quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the SEC. The institutional investor purchased 75,008 shares of the railroad operator’s stock, valued at approximately $20,402,000.

A number of other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also made changes to their positions in the stock. Cambient Family Office LLC purchased a new stake in Union Pacific during the 4th quarter valued at about $1,319,000. First National Bank of Omaha increased its holdings in shares of Union Pacific by 35.8% in the fourth quarter. First National Bank of Omaha now owns 54,635 shares of the railroad operator’s stock valued at $12,665,000 after purchasing an additional 14,399 shares during the period. North Dakota State Investment Board purchased a new position in shares of Union Pacific in the fourth quarter worth about $4,746,000. Sage Investment Advisers LLC purchased a new position in shares of Union Pacific in the fourth quarter worth about $997,000. Finally, Truist Financial Corp lifted its holdings in shares of Union Pacific by 3.1% during the fourth quarter. Truist Financial Corp now owns 1,016,071 shares of the railroad operator’s stock worth $235,038,000 after purchasing an additional 30,079 shares during the period. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 80.38% of the company’s stock.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

UNP has been the topic of a number of recent research reports. TD Cowen reiterated a “buy” rating and issued a $325.00 target price (up from $282.00) on shares of Union Pacific in a research report on Friday, July 24th. Citizens Jmp initiated coverage on shares of Union Pacific in a research note on Wednesday, July 15th. They set an “outperform” rating and a $350.00 price objective for the company. Evercore reaffirmed an “outperform” rating and issued a $294.00 price objective on shares of Union Pacific in a report on Thursday, June 25th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. increased their price objective on shares of Union Pacific from $304.00 to $334.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a research note on Friday, July 24th. Finally, Susquehanna increased their price objective on shares of Union Pacific from $305.00 to $333.00 and gave the stock a “positive” rating in a research note on Tuesday, July 14th. Two investment analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, thirteen have given a Buy rating and six have given a Hold rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the company has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $320.89.

Insider Transactions at Union Pacific

In related news, EVP Eric J. Gehringer sold 2,991 shares of the stock in a transaction on Wednesday, June 3rd. The shares were sold at an average price of $263.96, for a total transaction of $789,504.36. Following the sale, the executive vice president directly 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 filing with the SEC, which is available at this hyperlink. Company insiders own 0.22% of the company’s stock.

Union Pacific Stock Down 0.3%

Shares of UNP stock opened at $299.10 on Wednesday. Union Pacific Corporation has a twelve month low of $210.84 and a twelve month high of $315.99. The stock has a market cap of $177.69 billion, a P/E ratio of 24.22, a P/E/G ratio of 3.00 and a beta of 0.96. The stock has a 50 day moving average of $284.18 and a 200 day moving average of $266.34. The company has a current ratio of 0.99, a quick ratio of 0.82 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.40.

Union Pacific (NYSE:UNP) last released its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, July 23rd. The railroad operator reported $3.41 EPS for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $3.26 by $0.15. The business had revenue of $6.86 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $6.72 billion. Union Pacific had a return on equity of 38.46% and a net margin of 28.85%.The business’s quarterly revenue was up 11.5% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter in the prior year, the firm posted $3.03 EPS. As a group, sell-side analysts expect that Union Pacific Corporation will post 12.93 EPS for the current year.

Union Pacific Increases Dividend

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, September 30th. Investors of record on Monday, August 31st will be paid a $1.42 dividend. The ex-dividend date is Monday, August 31st. This represents a $5.68 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 1.9%. This is an increase from Union Pacific’s previous quarterly dividend of $1.38. Union Pacific’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 44.70%.

Union Pacific 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.