Diamond Hill Capital Management Inc. Cuts Position in Union Pacific Corporation $UNP

Diamond Hill Capital Management Inc. reduced its stake in shares of Union Pacific Corporation (NYSE:UNP) by 10.2% during the 4th quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the SEC. The institutional investor owned 1,544,680 shares of the railroad operator’s stock after selling 174,866 shares during the period. Union Pacific makes up about 1.8% of Diamond Hill Capital Management Inc.’s holdings, making the stock its 16th largest position. Diamond Hill Capital Management Inc.’s holdings in Union Pacific were worth $357,315,000 as of its most recent filing with the SEC.

A number of other large investors have also made changes to their positions in UNP. Rachor Investment Advisory Services LLC acquired a new position in Union Pacific during the fourth quarter worth about $25,000. Tucker Asset Management LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Union Pacific in the 4th quarter worth approximately $25,000. High Point Wealth Management LLC purchased a new position in Union Pacific in the 4th quarter valued at approximately $26,000. Caitlin John LLC acquired a new position in Union Pacific during the third quarter worth $27,000. Finally, Saranac Partners Ltd purchased a new stake in Union Pacific during the third quarter worth $27,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 80.38% of the company’s stock.

Insider Buying and Selling at Union Pacific

In other news, CFO Jennifer L. Hamann sold 2,000 shares of Union Pacific 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 completion of the sale, the chief financial officer owned 114,642 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $31,492,157.40. The trade was a 1.71% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at the SEC website. Also, EVP Eric J. Gehringer sold 1,999 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction on Friday, March 20th. The shares were sold at an average price of $234.93, for a total value of $469,625.07. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. In the last three months, insiders sold 31,386 shares of company stock worth $8,461,716. Insiders own 0.22% of the company’s stock.

Union Pacific Trading Down 0.1%

Union Pacific stock opened at $265.60 on Friday. The stock has a 50-day moving average price of $253.50 and a 200 day moving average price of $243.67. Union Pacific Corporation has a 52 week low of $210.84 and a 52 week high of $276.40. The stock has a market cap of $157.69 billion, a PE ratio of 21.88, a P/E/G ratio of 2.82 and a beta of 0.99. 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 results on Thursday, April 23rd. The railroad operator reported $2.93 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping 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 net margin of 29.20% and a return on equity of 39.58%. The firm’s revenue for the quarter was up 3.2% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period last year, the company earned $2.70 EPS. Equities research analysts predict that Union Pacific Corporation will post 12.53 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Union Pacific Announces Dividend

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

Analyst Ratings Changes

A number of research analysts have recently weighed in on UNP shares. Royal Bank Of Canada restated an “outperform” rating and issued a $289.00 price target (up from $273.00) on shares of Union Pacific in a research report on Friday, April 24th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. boosted their price objective on shares of Union Pacific from $267.00 to $275.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a research report on Friday, April 24th. The Goldman Sachs Group restated a “neutral” rating and set a $267.00 target price on shares of Union Pacific in a report on Tuesday, January 27th. BMO Capital Markets restated a “market perform” rating and set a $285.00 target price (up from $278.00) on shares of Union Pacific in a research report on Friday, April 24th. Finally, TD Cowen upped their price target on shares of Union Pacific from $256.00 to $282.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a report on Friday, April 24th. One analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, twelve have issued a Buy rating and eight have given a Hold rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $280.47.

About Union Pacific

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.