Diamant Asset Management Inc. Buys 929,029 Shares of Union Pacific Corporation $UNP

Diamant Asset Management Inc. boosted its stake in Union Pacific Corporation (NYSE:UNP) by 24,162.0% in the first quarter, Holdings Channel reports. The firm owned 932,874 shares of the railroad operator’s stock after purchasing an additional 929,029 shares during the quarter. Union Pacific accounts for about 0.7% of Diamant Asset Management Inc.’s investment portfolio, making the stock its 25th largest position. Diamant Asset Management Inc.’s holdings in Union Pacific were worth $226,334,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission.

Several other institutional investors and hedge funds have also bought and sold shares of the company. Vanguard Group Inc. increased its holdings in Union Pacific by 1.1% in the 4th quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 59,329,262 shares of the railroad operator’s stock valued at $13,724,045,000 after buying an additional 659,378 shares during the period. State Street Corp boosted its position in shares of Union Pacific by 4.3% during the 4th quarter. State Street Corp now owns 26,330,080 shares of the railroad operator’s stock worth $6,090,674,000 after acquiring an additional 1,082,285 shares in the last quarter. Capital World Investors increased its stake in Union Pacific by 92.1% in the fourth quarter. Capital World Investors now owns 20,136,349 shares of the railroad operator’s stock valued at $4,658,142,000 after acquiring an additional 9,655,306 shares during the last quarter. Geode Capital Management LLC raised its position in Union Pacific by 2.0% during the fourth quarter. Geode Capital Management LLC now owns 15,360,668 shares of the railroad operator’s stock valued at $3,552,550,000 after purchasing an additional 296,814 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Morgan Stanley raised its position in Union Pacific by 5.0% during the fourth quarter. Morgan Stanley now owns 12,636,050 shares of the railroad operator’s stock valued at $2,922,971,000 after purchasing an additional 602,647 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors own 80.38% of the company’s stock.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

A number of equities research analysts have weighed in on UNP shares. Sanford C. Bernstein raised their target price on Union Pacific from $289.00 to $293.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a report on Tuesday, March 31st. Wells Fargo & Company restated an “overweight” rating and set a $300.00 price objective (up from $260.00) on shares of Union Pacific in a research report on Friday, April 24th. Citigroup reaffirmed a “buy” rating and issued a $307.00 price objective (up from $285.00) on shares of Union Pacific in a research note on Friday, April 24th. TD Cowen lifted their target price on Union Pacific from $256.00 to $282.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research report on Friday, April 24th. Finally, UBS Group reissued a “neutral” rating and set a $274.00 target price (up from $253.00) on shares of Union Pacific in a research note on Friday, April 24th. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, twelve have given a Buy rating and eight have issued a Hold rating to the company’s stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the company has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $283.11.

Union Pacific Stock Performance

Shares of UNP stock opened at $269.56 on Friday. The business’s 50-day moving average price is $265.05 and its 200-day moving average price is $250.81. Union Pacific Corporation has a 12 month low of $210.84 and a 12 month high of $279.70. The firm has a market capitalization of $160.04 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 22.20, a PEG ratio of 2.84 and a beta of 0.97. The company has a current ratio of 0.92, a quick ratio of 0.73 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.53.

Union Pacific (NYSE:UNP) last released its quarterly earnings data 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. Union Pacific had a return on equity of 39.58% and a net margin of 29.20%.The company had revenue of $6.22 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $6.12 billion. During the same quarter in the prior year, the firm posted $2.70 earnings per share. The firm’s revenue was up 3.2% compared to the same quarter last year. Equities research analysts forecast that Union Pacific Corporation will post 12.55 EPS for the current year.

Union Pacific Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, June 30th. Shareholders of record on Friday, May 29th will be issued a dividend of $1.38 per share. This represents a $5.52 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 2.0%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, May 29th. Union Pacific’s payout ratio is presently 45.47%.

Insider Buying and Selling at Union Pacific

In other news, EVP Kenyatta G. Rocker sold 27,387 shares of Union Pacific 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 transaction, the executive vice president owned 61,102 shares in the company, valued at approximately $16,605,079.52. The trade was a 30.95% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through the SEC website. Also, EVP Eric J. Gehringer sold 2,991 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction on Wednesday, June 3rd. The stock was sold at an average price of $263.96, for a total transaction of $789,504.36. Following the completion of the sale, the executive vice president directly owned 43,012 shares in the company, valued at approximately $11,353,447.52. This represents a 6.50% decrease in their position. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. In the last ninety days, insiders sold 32,378 shares of company stock worth $8,781,595. 0.22% of the stock is currently owned by company 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.