Union Pacific Corporation $UNP Shares Sold by State of Wisconsin Investment Board

State of Wisconsin Investment Board cut its holdings in shares of Union Pacific Corporation (NYSE:UNP) by 2.1% in the 4th quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The firm owned 307,348 shares of the railroad operator’s stock after selling 6,736 shares during the period. State of Wisconsin Investment Board’s holdings in Union Pacific were worth $71,096,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Several other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also made changes to their positions in UNP. Magellan Asset Management Ltd acquired a new stake in Union Pacific in the third quarter worth approximately $69,343,000. Jefferies Financial Group Inc. lifted its position in Union Pacific by 1,581.2% in the third quarter. Jefferies Financial Group Inc. now owns 232,000 shares of the railroad operator’s stock worth $54,838,000 after purchasing an additional 218,200 shares during the period. North Dakota State Investment Board acquired a new stake in Union Pacific in the fourth quarter worth approximately $4,746,000. First National Bank of Omaha lifted its position in 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 worth $12,665,000 after purchasing an additional 14,399 shares during the period. Finally, Avanza Fonder AB acquired a new stake in Union Pacific in the fourth quarter worth approximately $1,449,000. 80.38% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Union Pacific Price Performance

NYSE UNP opened at $267.54 on Wednesday. The stock has a market capitalization of $158.84 billion, a P/E ratio of 22.04, a P/E/G ratio of 2.83 and a beta of 0.97. Union Pacific Corporation has a 1 year low of $210.84 and a 1 year high of $279.70. The business’s fifty day moving average is $263.15 and its two-hundred day moving average is $249.38. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.53, a quick ratio of 0.73 and a current ratio of 0.92.

Union Pacific (NYSE:UNP) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, April 23rd. The railroad operator reported $2.93 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $2.86 by $0.07. The company had revenue of $6.22 billion for 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%.The firm’s revenue was up 3.2% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter in the prior year, the company earned $2.70 earnings per share. On average, research analysts forecast that Union Pacific Corporation will post 12.55 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Union Pacific Dividend Announcement

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, June 30th. Shareholders of record on Friday, May 29th will be issued a $1.38 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, May 29th. This represents a $5.52 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 2.1%. Union Pacific’s dividend payout ratio is currently 45.47%.

Insider Buying and Selling at Union Pacific

In other Union Pacific news, CFO Jennifer L. Hamann sold 2,000 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction on Friday, April 24th. The stock was sold at an average price of $274.70, for a total value of $549,400.00. Following the transaction, the chief financial officer owned 114,642 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $31,492,157.40. This represents a 1.71% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this hyperlink. Also, EVP Kenyatta G. Rocker sold 27,387 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction 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 sale, the executive vice president directly owned 61,102 shares in the company, valued at approximately $16,605,079.52. This trade represents a 30.95% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. Over the last 90 days, insiders have sold 34,377 shares of company stock valued at $9,251,221. Corporate insiders own 0.22% of the company’s stock.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

A number of research firms have weighed in on UNP. Royal Bank Of Canada restated an “outperform” rating and issued a $289.00 target price (up from $273.00) on shares of Union Pacific in a research report on Friday, April 24th. Susquehanna restated a “positive” rating and issued a $305.00 target price on shares of Union Pacific in a research report on Friday, June 5th. UBS Group restated a “neutral” rating and issued a $274.00 target price (up from $253.00) on shares of Union Pacific in a research report on Friday, April 24th. Wells Fargo & Company restated an “overweight” rating and issued a $300.00 target price (up from $260.00) on shares of Union Pacific in a research report on Friday, April 24th. Finally, BMO Capital Markets restated a “market perform” rating and issued a $285.00 target price (up from $278.00) on shares of Union Pacific in a research report on Friday, April 24th. One analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, twelve have given a Buy rating and eight have assigned a Hold rating to the company. According to MarketBeat, Union Pacific has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $282.21.

Union Pacific Company 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.