Louisiana State Employees Retirement System Invests $7.33 Million in Union Pacific Corporation $UNP

Key Points

• Louisiana State Employees Retirement System opened a new position in Union Pacific, buying 30,200 shares valued at about $7.33 million in the first quarter.
• Union Pacific reported better-than-expected quarterly results, with EPS of $2.93 versus $2.86 expected and revenue of $6.22 billion, up 3.2% year over year.
• The company also declared a quarterly dividend of $1.38 per share, equivalent to an annualized dividend of $5.52 and a yield of about 2.1%.

Louisiana State Employees Retirement System bought a new position in shares of Union Pacific Corporation (NYSE:UNP - Free Report) during the 1st quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The firm bought 30,200 shares of the railroad operator's stock, valued at approximately $7,327,000.

A number of other large investors also recently bought and sold shares of the stock. Vanguard Group Inc. lifted its stake in shares of Union Pacific by 1.1% in the 4th quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 59,329,262 shares of the railroad operator's stock valued at $13,724,045,000 after purchasing an additional 659,378 shares during the period. State Street Corp increased its holdings in Union Pacific by 4.3% in the fourth quarter. State Street Corp now owns 26,330,080 shares of the railroad operator's stock valued at $6,090,674,000 after buying an additional 1,082,285 shares in the last quarter. Capital World Investors raised its position in shares of Union Pacific by 92.1% in the fourth quarter. Capital World Investors now owns 20,136,349 shares of the railroad operator's stock worth $4,658,142,000 after acquiring an additional 9,655,306 shares during the period. Geode Capital Management LLC boosted its stake in shares of 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 worth $3,552,550,000 after acquiring an additional 296,814 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Morgan Stanley boosted its stake in shares of Union Pacific by 5.0% during the 4th quarter. Morgan Stanley now owns 12,636,050 shares of the railroad operator's stock worth $2,922,971,000 after acquiring an additional 602,647 shares in the last quarter. 80.38% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Insider Activity

In related news, CFO Jennifer L. Hamann sold 2,000 shares of Union Pacific 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 transaction, the chief financial officer owned 114,642 shares in the company, valued at approximately $31,492,157.40. This trade represents a 1.71% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through this link. Also, EVP Kenyatta G. Rocker sold 27,387 shares of the business's stock in a transaction on Friday, April 24th. The stock was sold at an average price of $271.76, for a total value of $7,442,691.12. Following the transaction, the executive vice president directly owned 61,102 shares in the company, valued at $16,605,079.52. This trade represents a 30.95% decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. Insiders sold 32,378 shares of company stock worth $8,781,595 over the last ninety days. Corporate insiders own 0.22% of the company's stock.

Union Pacific Price Performance

Shares of NYSE UNP opened at $267.61 on Friday. The firm has a 50-day simple moving average of $264.62 and a 200-day simple moving average of $250.68. The company has a quick ratio of 0.73, a current ratio of 0.92 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.53. The stock has a market capitalization of $158.88 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 22.04, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.76 and a beta of 0.97. Union Pacific Corporation has a 52 week low of $210.84 and a 52 week high of $279.70.

Union Pacific (NYSE:UNP - Get Free Report) last posted its quarterly 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. Union Pacific had a net margin of 29.20% and a return on equity of 39.58%. The firm had revenue of $6.22 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $6.12 billion. During the same period in the previous year, the business posted $2.70 earnings per share. Union Pacific's quarterly revenue was up 3.2% on a year-over-year basis. On average, equities analysts predict that Union Pacific Corporation will post 12.55 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Union Pacific Dividend Announcement

The business also recently announced 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 is Friday, May 29th. Union Pacific's payout ratio is currently 45.47%.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several equities analysts recently weighed in on the company. UBS Group restated a "neutral" rating and issued a $274.00 price target (up from $253.00) on shares of Union Pacific in a research note on Friday, April 24th. Wells Fargo & Company reaffirmed an "overweight" rating and set a $300.00 target price (up from $260.00) on shares of Union Pacific in a research note on Friday, April 24th. BMO Capital Markets reiterated 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. Robert W. Baird set a $311.00 price target on shares of Union Pacific and gave the stock an "outperform" rating in a report on Friday, March 6th. Finally, Susquehanna restated a "positive" rating and set a $305.00 price objective on shares of Union Pacific in a research report on Friday, June 5th. One equities 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.com, Union Pacific presently has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average target price of $283.11.

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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