Eric Gehringer Sells 2,991 Shares of Union Pacific (NYSE:UNP) Stock

Key Points

• Union Pacific EVP Eric Gehringer sold 2,991 shares on June 3 at an average price of $263.96, totaling about $789,504. After the sale, he still owned 43,012 shares worth roughly $11.35 million.
• The company reported stronger-than-expected first-quarter results, with EPS of $2.93 beating estimates and revenue of $6.22 billion topping forecasts. Revenue also rose 3.2% from a year earlier.
• Union Pacific reaffirmed shareholder returns with a quarterly dividend of $1.38 per share, payable June 30, implying an annualized yield of about 2.1%. Analysts currently view the stock as a Moderate Buy with a consensus target price of $280.47.

Union Pacific Corporation (NYSE:UNP - Get Free Report) EVP Eric Gehringer sold 2,991 shares of Union Pacific stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, June 3rd. The shares were sold at an average price of $263.96, for a total transaction of $789,504.36. Following the transaction, the executive vice president owned 43,012 shares of the company's stock, valued at $11,353,447.52. The trade was a 6.50% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is accessible through this hyperlink.

Union Pacific Price Performance

Shares of NYSE UNP traded up $0.32 during mid-day trading on Thursday, hitting $262.45. 512,268 shares of the company's stock traded hands, compared to its average volume of 3,253,099. The company's 50-day moving average is $258.23 and its two-hundred day moving average is $246.56. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.53, a current ratio of 0.92 and a quick ratio of 0.73. The company has a market capitalization of $155.82 billion, a P/E ratio of 21.60, a PEG ratio of 2.81 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.

Union Pacific (NYSE:UNP - Get Free Report) last issued its 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. Union Pacific had a net margin of 29.20% and a return on equity of 39.58%. The business had revenue of $6.22 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $6.12 billion. During the same period in the prior year, the firm earned $2.70 EPS. The company's revenue for the quarter was up 3.2% compared to the same quarter last year. On average, equities analysts anticipate that Union Pacific Corporation will post 12.53 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Union Pacific Announces Dividend

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 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 2.1%. Union Pacific's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 45.47%.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

UNP has been the subject of a number of research analyst reports. Weiss Ratings raised shares of Union Pacific from a "buy (b-)" rating to a "buy (b)" rating in a report on Tuesday, April 21st. Sanford C. Bernstein raised their target price on shares of Union Pacific from $289.00 to $293.00 and gave the stock an "outperform" rating in a report on Tuesday, March 31st. UBS Group reissued a "neutral" rating and set a $274.00 target price (up from $253.00) on shares of Union Pacific in a report on Friday, April 24th. Raymond James Financial set a $310.00 target price on shares of Union Pacific in a report on Friday, April 24th. Finally, Benchmark raised their target price on shares of Union Pacific from $275.00 to $300.00 and gave the stock a "buy" rating in a report on Friday, April 24th. One analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, twelve have assigned a Buy rating and eight have assigned a Hold rating to the company's stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, Union Pacific has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus target price of $280.47.

Institutional Trading of Union Pacific

Hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Acadian Asset Management LLC increased its stake in shares of Union Pacific by 40.4% during the first quarter. Acadian Asset Management LLC now owns 2,312 shares of the railroad operator's stock worth $546,000 after purchasing an additional 665 shares in the last quarter. Schnieders Capital Management LLC. increased its stake in shares of Union Pacific by 0.5% during the second quarter. Schnieders Capital Management LLC. now owns 20,606 shares of the railroad operator's stock worth $4,741,000 after purchasing an additional 102 shares in the last quarter. Main Street Financial Solutions LLC boosted its position in Union Pacific by 1.6% during the second quarter. Main Street Financial Solutions LLC now owns 3,733 shares of the railroad operator's stock worth $859,000 after acquiring an additional 58 shares during the last quarter. HUB Investment Partners LLC boosted its position in Union Pacific by 10.0% during the second quarter. HUB Investment Partners LLC now owns 6,091 shares of the railroad operator's stock worth $1,401,000 after acquiring an additional 554 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Alliancebernstein L.P. boosted its position in Union Pacific by 7.4% during the second quarter. Alliancebernstein L.P. now owns 1,528,426 shares of the railroad operator's stock worth $351,660,000 after acquiring an additional 105,664 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 80.38% of the company's stock.

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.

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