Fjarde AP Fonden Fourth Swedish National Pension Fund Sells 6,100 Shares of Union Pacific Corporation $UNP

Key Points

• Fjarde AP Fonden cut its Union Pacific stake by 3.5% in the fourth quarter, selling 6,100 shares and ending with 166,226 shares valued at about $38.45 million.
• Union Pacific recently beat quarterly expectations, reporting $2.93 EPS on revenue of $6.22 billion, with revenue up 3.2% year over year.
• The company declared a $1.38 quarterly dividend to be paid June 30, and Wall Street remains generally positive, with a consensus rating of Moderate Buy and an average target price of $282.21.

Fjarde AP Fonden Fourth Swedish National Pension Fund lowered its stake in shares of Union Pacific Corporation (NYSE:UNP - Free Report) by 3.5% in the fourth quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The firm owned 166,226 shares of the railroad operator's stock after selling 6,100 shares during the quarter. Fjarde AP Fonden Fourth Swedish National Pension Fund's holdings in Union Pacific were worth $38,451,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

A number of other large investors have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in UNP. Vanguard Group Inc. increased its stake in shares of Union Pacific by 1.1% in the fourth quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 59,329,262 shares of the railroad operator's stock worth $13,724,045,000 after purchasing an additional 659,378 shares during the period. Geode Capital Management LLC grew its holdings in Union Pacific by 2.0% in 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 buying an additional 296,814 shares during the last quarter. Capital World Investors grew its holdings in Union Pacific by 193.3% in the 3rd quarter. Capital World Investors now owns 10,481,043 shares of the railroad operator's stock valued at $2,477,404,000 after buying an additional 6,908,016 shares during the last quarter. UBS AM A Distinct Business Unit of UBS Asset Management Americas LLC increased its position in Union Pacific by 72.7% in the 3rd quarter. UBS AM A Distinct Business Unit of UBS Asset Management Americas LLC now owns 9,177,002 shares of the railroad operator's stock worth $2,169,168,000 after buying an additional 3,861,636 shares during the period. Finally, Capital Research Global Investors increased its position in Union Pacific by 95.0% in the 3rd quarter. Capital Research Global Investors now owns 8,713,196 shares of the railroad operator's stock worth $2,059,538,000 after buying an additional 4,244,226 shares during the period. Institutional investors own 80.38% of the company's stock.

Union Pacific Price Performance

Shares of UNP stock opened at $272.28 on Friday. The stock has a 50 day moving average of $259.32 and a two-hundred day moving average of $247.03. 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 12 month low of $210.84 and a 12 month high of $279.70. The company has a market capitalization of $161.66 billion, a P/E ratio of 22.43, a P/E/G ratio of 2.80 and a beta of 0.97.

Union Pacific (NYSE:UNP - Get Free Report) last announced its quarterly earnings data 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 return on equity of 39.58% and a net margin of 29.20%.The company had revenue of $6.22 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $6.12 billion. During the same quarter last year, the company earned $2.70 EPS. The company's quarterly revenue was up 3.2% on a year-over-year basis. As a group, equities analysts expect that Union Pacific Corporation will post 12.53 EPS for the current year.

Union Pacific Announces Dividend

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

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several equities research analysts have recently weighed in on UNP shares. Barclays reissued an "overweight" rating and issued a $315.00 price objective (up from $285.00) on shares of Union Pacific in a research report on Friday, April 24th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. boosted their target price 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. Sanford C. Bernstein boosted their target price on shares of Union Pacific from $289.00 to $293.00 and gave the stock an "outperform" rating in a research report on Tuesday, March 31st. Benchmark boosted their target price on shares of Union Pacific from $275.00 to $300.00 and gave the stock a "buy" rating in a research report on Friday, April 24th. Finally, Robert W. Baird set a $311.00 target price on shares of Union Pacific and gave the stock an "outperform" rating in a research report on Friday, March 6th. One research 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. Based on data from MarketBeat, the stock currently has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average target price of $282.21.

Insider Buying and Selling

In related news, EVP Kenyatta G. Rocker sold 27,387 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, April 24th. The stock was sold at an average price of $271.76, for a total transaction of $7,442,691.12. Following the completion of the transaction, the executive vice president owned 61,102 shares in the company, valued at $16,605,079.52. This trade represents a 30.95% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through the SEC website. Also, EVP Eric J. Gehringer sold 2,991 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, June 3rd. The stock was sold at an average price of $263.96, for a total value 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. This trade represents a 6.50% decrease in their position. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. Insiders sold 34,377 shares of company stock worth $9,251,221 in the last 90 days. 0.22% of the stock is owned by company insiders.

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.

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