Arbejdsmarkedets Tillaegspension Takes $23.24 Million Position in Union Pacific Corporation $UNP

Key Points

• Arbejdsmarkedets Tillaegspension bought a new stake in Union Pacific during the fourth quarter, acquiring 100,445 shares worth about $23.24 million.
• Union Pacific reported strong quarterly results, posting EPS of $2.93 versus estimates of $2.86 and revenue of $6.22 billion, also above expectations.
• The company declared a quarterly dividend of $1.38 per share and recently saw some insider selling, while analysts currently rate the stock Moderate Buy with an average target of $280.47.

Arbejdsmarkedets Tillaegspension purchased a new stake in shares of Union Pacific Corporation (NYSE:UNP - Free Report) during the 4th quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The institutional investor purchased 100,445 shares of the railroad operator's stock, valued at approximately $23,235,000.

A number of other hedge funds have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the business. Meridian Financial Partners LLC increased its stake in Union Pacific by 4.9% during the 4th quarter. Meridian Financial Partners LLC now owns 5,082 shares of the railroad operator's stock valued at $1,166,000 after buying an additional 236 shares during the period. New York Life Investment Management LLC boosted its holdings in shares of Union Pacific by 1.0% in the fourth quarter. New York Life Investment Management LLC now owns 81,305 shares of the railroad operator's stock valued at $18,807,000 after acquiring an additional 790 shares in the last quarter. Mesirow Financial Investment Management Inc. boosted its holdings in shares of Union Pacific by 0.4% in the fourth quarter. Mesirow Financial Investment Management Inc. now owns 127,779 shares of the railroad operator's stock valued at $29,558,000 after acquiring an additional 524 shares in the last quarter. Pinnacle Associates Ltd. increased its stake in shares of Union Pacific by 7.4% during the fourth quarter. Pinnacle Associates Ltd. now owns 48,287 shares of the railroad operator's stock valued at $11,170,000 after acquiring an additional 3,316 shares during the period. Finally, Simmons Bank raised its holdings in Union Pacific by 4.2% during the fourth quarter. Simmons Bank now owns 17,581 shares of the railroad operator's stock worth $4,067,000 after purchasing an additional 714 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 80.38% of the company's stock.

Insider Buying and Selling at Union Pacific

In related news, EVP Eric J. Gehringer sold 1,999 shares of Union Pacific stock in a transaction dated Friday, March 20th. The shares were sold at an average price of $234.93, for a total transaction of $469,625.07. The sale 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 value of $7,442,691.12. Following the completion of the sale, the executive vice president owned 61,102 shares of the company's stock, valued at $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. Insiders sold 31,386 shares of company stock valued at $8,461,716 in the last quarter. 0.22% of the stock is currently owned by insiders.

Union Pacific Stock Performance

UNP opened at $270.58 on Friday. 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 Corporation has a 1 year low of $210.84 and a 1 year high of $274.79. The stock has a market cap of $160.65 billion, a PE ratio of 22.29, a P/E/G ratio of 2.86 and a beta of 0.99. The stock's 50 day simple moving average is $252.29 and its 200-day simple moving average is $242.06.

Union Pacific (NYSE:UNP - Get Free Report) last issued its earnings results on Thursday, April 23rd. The railroad operator reported $2.93 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping analysts' consensus estimates of $2.86 by $0.07. The firm 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 company's revenue was up 3.2% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter last year, the business earned $2.70 earnings per share. Sell-side analysts forecast that Union Pacific Corporation will post 12.53 EPS for the current year.

Union Pacific Announces Dividend

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

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of equities research analysts have recently issued reports on UNP shares. 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 research report on Friday, April 24th. Weiss Ratings raised shares of Union Pacific from a "buy (b-)" rating to a "buy (b)" rating in a research report on Tuesday, April 21st. Wells Fargo & Company restated an "overweight" rating and issued a $300.00 price target (up from $260.00) on shares of Union Pacific in a research report on Friday, April 24th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. lifted 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. Finally, Susquehanna restated a "buy" rating on shares of Union Pacific in a report on Monday, January 19th. One research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, twelve have issued a Buy rating and eight have issued a Hold rating to the company's stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the company presently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average price target of $280.47.

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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