Winthrop Partners WNY LLC Acquires New Position in Union Pacific Corporation $UNP

Winthrop Partners WNY LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Union Pacific Corporation (NYSE:UNP) during the 4th quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The institutional investor acquired 9,066 shares of the railroad operator’s stock, valued at approximately $2,097,000.

Several other hedge funds also recently made changes to their positions in the company. Cambient Family Office LLC bought a new stake in Union Pacific during the fourth quarter valued at $1,319,000. Magellan Asset Management Ltd bought a new position in shares of Union Pacific in the 3rd quarter worth about $69,343,000. Jefferies Financial Group Inc. lifted its position in shares of Union Pacific by 1,581.2% in the 3rd quarter. Jefferies Financial Group Inc. now owns 232,000 shares of the railroad operator’s stock worth $54,838,000 after buying an additional 218,200 shares during the last quarter. North Dakota State Investment Board acquired a new position in shares of Union Pacific in the 4th quarter valued at about $4,746,000. Finally, First National Bank of Omaha boosted its holdings in shares of Union Pacific by 35.8% in the 4th quarter. First National Bank of Omaha now owns 54,635 shares of the railroad operator’s stock valued at $12,665,000 after buying an additional 14,399 shares during the period. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 80.38% of the company’s stock.

Union Pacific Trading Up 0.2%

Shares of NYSE:UNP opened at $257.46 on Friday. The company has a market cap of $152.86 billion, a PE ratio of 21.21, a P/E/G ratio of 2.72 and a beta of 0.97. The company’s 50-day moving average price is $263.79 and its 200 day moving average price is $249.80. Union Pacific Corporation has a fifty-two week low of $210.84 and a fifty-two week high of $279.70. The company has a quick ratio of 0.73, a current ratio of 0.92 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.53.

Union Pacific (NYSE:UNP) last posted its earnings results on Thursday, April 23rd. The railroad operator reported $2.93 EPS for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $2.86 by $0.07. Union Pacific had a net margin of 29.20% and a return on equity of 39.58%. The firm had revenue of $6.22 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $6.12 billion. During the same quarter in the prior year, the firm earned $2.70 EPS. Union Pacific’s quarterly revenue was up 3.2% on a year-over-year basis. Sell-side analysts anticipate that Union Pacific Corporation will post 12.55 earnings per share for the current year.

Union Pacific Announces Dividend

The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, June 30th. Stockholders 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 dividend yield of 2.1%. Union Pacific’s payout ratio is currently 45.47%.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

A number of equities analysts have issued reports on UNP shares. Robert W. Baird set a $311.00 target price on shares of Union Pacific and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a report on Friday, March 6th. TD Cowen upped their target price on Union Pacific from $256.00 to $282.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a report on Friday, April 24th. BMO Capital Markets reaffirmed a “market perform” rating and set a $285.00 target price (up from $278.00) on shares of Union Pacific in a report on Friday, April 24th. Citigroup reiterated a “buy” rating and set a $307.00 price target (up from $285.00) on shares of Union Pacific in a research report on Friday, April 24th. Finally, Sanford C. Bernstein raised their price target on Union Pacific from $289.00 to $293.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a report on Tuesday, March 31st. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, twelve have assigned a Buy rating and eight have issued a Hold rating to the company’s stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the company has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $282.21.

Insider Buying and Selling

In related news, EVP Kenyatta G. Rocker sold 27,387 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, April 24th. The stock was sold at an average price of $271.76, for a total value of $7,442,691.12. Following the completion of the transaction, the executive vice president directly owned 61,102 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $16,605,079.52. This represents a 30.95% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available through the SEC website. Also, CFO Jennifer L. Hamann sold 2,000 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, April 24th. The shares were sold at an average price of $274.70, for a total value of $549,400.00. Following the completion of the sale, the chief financial officer owned 114,642 shares in the company, valued at approximately $31,492,157.40. This 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 32,378 shares of company stock valued at $8,781,595 in the last three months. 0.22% of the stock is currently owned by corporate insiders.

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.