Shulman DeMeo Asset Management LLC Lowers Stake in Union Pacific Co. (NYSE:UNP)

Shulman DeMeo Asset Management LLC decreased its position in shares of Union Pacific Co. (NYSE:UNP) by 3.3% during the first quarter, HoldingsChannel reports. The firm owned 1,895 shares of the railroad operator’s stock after selling 65 shares during the period. Shulman DeMeo Asset Management LLC’s holdings in Union Pacific were worth $466,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Several other hedge funds have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in UNP. OLD Point Trust & Financial Services N A purchased a new stake in Union Pacific in the fourth quarter worth approximately $25,000. Raleigh Capital Management Inc. grew its holdings in shares of Union Pacific by 211.4% during the 4th quarter. Raleigh Capital Management Inc. now owns 109 shares of the railroad operator’s stock valued at $27,000 after purchasing an additional 74 shares during the last quarter. Valued Wealth Advisors LLC purchased a new position in Union Pacific in the 4th quarter worth $28,000. Scarborough Advisors LLC bought a new stake in Union Pacific in the fourth quarter worth $29,000. Finally, Transcendent Capital Group LLC purchased a new stake in Union Pacific during the fourth quarter valued at about $34,000. Institutional investors own 80.38% of the company’s stock.

Union Pacific Stock Performance

NYSE UNP traded down $0.14 during trading hours on Thursday, hitting $223.47. The company’s stock had a trading volume of 1,610,843 shares, compared to its average volume of 2,305,673. The company’s 50 day simple moving average is $233.55 and its two-hundred day simple moving average is $240.40. Union Pacific Co. has a 12 month low of $199.33 and a 12 month high of $258.66. The company has a market cap of $136.34 billion, a P/E ratio of 21.45, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.82 and a beta of 1.05. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.99, a current ratio of 0.93 and a quick ratio of 0.76.

Union Pacific (NYSE:UNP) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, April 25th. The railroad operator reported $2.69 earnings per share for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $2.50 by $0.19. The company had revenue of $6.03 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $5.97 billion. Union Pacific had a net margin of 26.52% and a return on equity of 44.34%. The firm’s revenue for the quarter was down .4% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter in the prior year, the firm earned $2.67 earnings per share. As a group, sell-side analysts expect that Union Pacific Co. will post 11.25 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Union Pacific Announces Dividend

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, June 28th. Shareholders of record on Friday, May 31st will be given a $1.30 dividend. The ex-dividend date is Friday, May 31st. This represents a $5.20 annualized dividend and a yield of 2.33%. Union Pacific’s payout ratio is presently 49.62%.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of equities research analysts have recently weighed in on the company. StockNews.com lowered Union Pacific from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note on Tuesday, June 18th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. boosted their price objective on Union Pacific from $237.00 to $243.00 and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a research report on Tuesday, April 9th. Benchmark raised their target price on shares of Union Pacific from $260.00 to $266.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a report on Wednesday, April 10th. Morgan Stanley lifted their target price on shares of Union Pacific from $198.00 to $210.00 and gave the stock an “equal weight” rating in a research note on Friday, April 26th. Finally, Wells Fargo & Company began coverage on shares of Union Pacific in a research report on Friday, June 7th. They set an “overweight” rating and a $270.00 price target for the company. Eight research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, thirteen have issued a buy rating and one has given a strong buy rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat, the company has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $258.92.

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.