Faithward Advisors LLC Buys 4,165 Shares of Union Pacific Corporation $UNP

Key Points

• Faithward Advisors LLC increased its stake in Union Pacific by 170.5% in the first quarter, buying 4,165 additional shares and bringing its total holdings to 6,608 shares worth about $1.6 million.
• Union Pacific reported better-than-expected quarterly results, with earnings of $2.93 per share on revenue of $6.22 billion, while revenue rose 3.2% year over year.
• The company also announced a quarterly dividend of $1.38 per share, implying an annualized payout of $5.52 and a dividend yield of about 2.1%.

Faithward Advisors LLC grew its stake in Union Pacific Corporation (NYSE:UNP - Free Report) by 170.5% during the 1st quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 6,608 shares of the railroad operator's stock after acquiring an additional 4,165 shares during the quarter. Faithward Advisors LLC's holdings in Union Pacific were worth $1,603,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

A number of other institutional investors have also recently modified their holdings of UNP. Vanguard Group Inc. increased its holdings in shares of Union Pacific by 1.1% during the fourth quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 59,329,262 shares of the railroad operator's stock valued at $13,724,045,000 after acquiring an additional 659,378 shares in the last quarter. State Street Corp boosted its stake in Union Pacific by 4.3% in the 4th quarter. State Street Corp now owns 26,330,080 shares of the railroad operator's stock worth $6,090,674,000 after purchasing an additional 1,082,285 shares in the last quarter. Capital World Investors boosted its stake in Union Pacific by 92.1% in the 4th quarter. Capital World Investors now owns 20,136,349 shares of the railroad operator's stock worth $4,658,142,000 after purchasing an additional 9,655,306 shares in the last quarter. Geode Capital Management LLC grew its position in Union Pacific by 2.0% during the 4th 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 during the last quarter. Finally, Morgan Stanley grew its position in Union Pacific by 5.0% during the 4th 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 during the last quarter. 80.38% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several research analysts have issued reports on the stock. UBS Group reaffirmed a "neutral" rating and issued 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 price target on shares of Union Pacific in a report on Friday, April 24th. Wells Fargo & Company reissued an "overweight" rating and set a $300.00 price target (up from $260.00) on shares of Union Pacific in a research report on Friday, April 24th. Sanford C. Bernstein boosted their price objective 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. Finally, JPMorgan Chase & Co. upped their price objective on Union Pacific from $267.00 to $275.00 and gave the company a "neutral" rating in a research report on Friday, April 24th. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, twelve have given a Buy rating and eight have given a Hold rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat, the company has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average target price of $282.21.

Union Pacific Price Performance

NYSE UNP opened at $259.20 on Wednesday. Union Pacific Corporation has a one year low of $210.84 and a one year high of $279.70. The stock has a 50-day moving average of $264.14 and a 200 day moving average of $250.29. The company has a market capitalization of $153.89 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 21.35, a PEG ratio of 2.76 and a beta of 0.97. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.53, a quick ratio of 0.73 and a current ratio of 0.92.

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 for the quarter, topping analysts' consensus estimates of $2.86 by $0.07. The business had revenue of $6.22 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $6.12 billion. Union Pacific had a return on equity of 39.58% and a net margin of 29.20%.Union Pacific's revenue was up 3.2% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter in the previous year, the firm earned $2.70 EPS. On average, sell-side analysts forecast that Union Pacific Corporation will post 12.55 EPS for the current year.

Union Pacific Announces Dividend

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

Insider Activity

In related news, EVP Eric J. Gehringer sold 2,991 shares of the 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 in the company, valued at $11,353,447.52. This represents a 6.50% 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, CFO Jennifer L. Hamann sold 2,000 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, April 24th. The stock was sold at an average price of $274.70, for a total transaction of $549,400.00. Following the completion of the sale, the chief financial officer owned 114,642 shares in the company, valued at $31,492,157.40. This represents a 1.71% decrease in their position. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. Insiders sold 32,378 shares of company stock valued at $8,781,595 over the last three months. Insiders own 0.22% of the company's stock.

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.

This instant news alert was generated by narrative science technology and financial data from MarketBeat in order to provide readers with the fastest reporting and unbiased coverage. Please send any questions or comments about this story to contact@marketbeat.com.