Capital World Investors Purchases 9,655,306 Shares of Union Pacific Corporation $UNP

Capital World Investors boosted its position in shares of Union Pacific Corporation (NYSE:UNP) by 92.1% in the fourth quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 20,136,349 shares of the railroad operator’s stock after purchasing an additional 9,655,306 shares during the period. Capital World Investors owned about 3.39% of Union Pacific worth $4,658,142,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

A number of other large investors have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in UNP. Rachor Investment Advisory Services LLC bought a new position in Union Pacific during the 4th quarter worth about $25,000. Tucker Asset Management LLC bought a new position in Union Pacific during the 4th quarter worth about $25,000. High Point Wealth Management LLC bought a new position in Union Pacific during the 4th quarter worth about $26,000. Caitlin John LLC bought a new position in Union Pacific during the 3rd quarter worth about $27,000. Finally, Saranac Partners Ltd bought a new position in Union Pacific during the 3rd quarter worth about $27,000. Institutional investors own 80.38% of the company’s stock.

Union Pacific Trading Up 3.2%

Union Pacific stock opened at $272.28 on Friday. Union Pacific Corporation has a 52 week low of $210.84 and a 52 week high of $279.70. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.53, a quick ratio of 0.73 and a current ratio of 0.92. The stock has a market capitalization of $161.66 billion, a P/E ratio of 22.43, a PEG ratio of 2.89 and a beta of 0.97. The stock has a 50-day simple moving average of $259.32 and a 200 day simple moving average of $247.03.

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

Union Pacific Announces Dividend

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, June 30th. Shareholders of record on Friday, May 29th will be given a dividend of $1.38 per share. The ex-dividend date is Friday, May 29th. This represents a $5.52 annualized dividend and a yield of 2.0%. Union Pacific’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 45.47%.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

Several equities analysts have recently weighed in on UNP shares. Barclays restated an “overweight” rating and issued a $315.00 price objective (up from $285.00) on shares of Union Pacific in a report on Friday, April 24th. BMO Capital Markets restated a “market perform” rating and issued a $285.00 price objective (up from $278.00) on shares of Union Pacific in a report on Friday, April 24th. Robert W. Baird set a $311.00 price objective on Union Pacific and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a report on Friday, March 6th. TD Cowen raised their price objective on Union Pacific from $256.00 to $282.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a report on Friday, April 24th. Finally, UBS Group restated a “neutral” rating and issued a $274.00 price objective (up from $253.00) on shares of Union Pacific in a report on Friday, April 24th. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, twelve have issued a Buy rating and eight have issued a Hold rating to the company. According to MarketBeat, Union Pacific presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $282.21.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other Union Pacific news, EVP Kenyatta G. Rocker sold 27,387 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, April 24th. The shares were sold at an average price of $271.76, for a total transaction of $7,442,691.12. Following the completion of the sale, the executive vice president directly owned 61,102 shares in the company, valued at $16,605,079.52. This trade represents a 30.95% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available at this hyperlink. Also, CFO Jennifer L. Hamann sold 2,000 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, April 24th. The stock was sold at an average price of $274.70, for a total transaction of $549,400.00. Following the sale, the chief financial officer owned 114,642 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $31,492,157.40. This trade represents a 1.71% decrease in their ownership of the stock. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. Insiders sold 34,377 shares of company stock worth $9,251,221 over the last three months. Insiders own 0.22% of the company’s stock.

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.