Eagle Global Advisors LLC Trims Stock Position in Union Pacific Corporation $UNP

Key Points

• Eagle Global Advisors trimmed its stake in Union Pacific by 88% in Q4, selling 31,713 shares and leaving 4,341 shares valued at about $1.004 million.
• Union Pacific slightly missed quarterly estimates (EPS $2.86 vs. $2.92; revenue $6.09B vs. $6.15B, down 0.6% YoY) and pays a $1.38 quarterly dividend ($5.52 annual, ~2.2% yield).
• EVP Eric J. Gehringer sold 1,999 shares (≈$469,625) and analysts hold a consensus of "Moderate Buy" with an average price target of $267.48.

Eagle Global Advisors LLC trimmed its holdings in shares of Union Pacific Corporation (NYSE:UNP - Free Report) by 88.0% in the fourth quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The institutional investor owned 4,341 shares of the railroad operator's stock after selling 31,713 shares during the period. Eagle Global Advisors LLC's holdings in Union Pacific were worth $1,004,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Other institutional investors have also recently modified their holdings of the company. Optas LLC grew its holdings in Union Pacific by 1.9% during the 4th quarter. Optas LLC now owns 10,254 shares of the railroad operator's stock valued at $2,372,000 after buying an additional 190 shares during the last quarter. Stevens Capital Partners lifted its position in shares of Union Pacific by 0.3% in the fourth quarter. Stevens Capital Partners now owns 33,078 shares of the railroad operator's stock valued at $7,652,000 after acquiring an additional 92 shares in the last quarter. Ticino Wealth purchased a new stake in shares of Union Pacific in the fourth quarter valued at $1,254,000. Breachway Investments LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Union Pacific during the fourth quarter valued at $383,000. Finally, Michael Brady & Co. LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Union Pacific during the fourth quarter valued at $551,000. 80.38% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Insider Buying and Selling at Union Pacific

In related news, EVP Eric J. Gehringer sold 1,999 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, March 20th. The shares were sold at an average price of $234.93, for a total value of $469,625.07. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available at this hyperlink. 0.22% of the stock is owned by corporate insiders.

Union Pacific Stock Down 0.5%

UNP opened at $249.93 on Thursday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.64, a current ratio of 0.91 and a quick ratio of 0.75. The stock has a market capitalization of $148.31 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 20.88, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.78 and a beta of 0.96. The business has a 50-day moving average of $251.40 and a two-hundred day moving average of $237.84. Union Pacific Corporation has a 12 month low of $206.63 and a 12 month high of $268.14.

Union Pacific (NYSE:UNP - Get Free Report) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, January 27th. The railroad operator reported $2.86 earnings per share for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $2.92 by ($0.06). Union Pacific had a return on equity of 40.89% and a net margin of 29.12%.The company had revenue of $6.09 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $6.15 billion. During the same quarter in the previous year, the company earned $2.91 earnings per share. The company's revenue was down .6% on a year-over-year basis. On average, research analysts expect that Union Pacific Corporation will post 12.42 earnings per share for the current year.

Union Pacific Dividend Announcement

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Tuesday, March 31st. Stockholders of record on Friday, February 27th were issued a $1.38 dividend. This represents a $5.52 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 2.2%. The ex-dividend date was Friday, February 27th. Union Pacific's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 46.12%.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

UNP has been the subject of several analyst reports. Benchmark reissued a "buy" rating and issued a $275.00 target price (up from $260.00) on shares of Union Pacific in a research note on Friday, April 17th. TD Cowen lowered their price target on shares of Union Pacific from $257.00 to $255.00 and set a "buy" rating for the company in a report on Wednesday, January 28th. Evercore raised shares of Union Pacific from an "in-line" rating to an "outperform" rating and set a $262.00 price objective for the company in a research report on Thursday, March 19th. Robert W. Baird set a $311.00 price objective on shares of Union Pacific and gave the company an "outperform" rating in a research note on Friday, March 6th. Finally, The Goldman Sachs Group restated a "neutral" rating and set a $267.00 target price on shares of Union Pacific in a research report on Tuesday, January 27th. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, fourteen have issued a Buy rating and eight have assigned a Hold rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average price target of $267.48.

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.

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