Maj Invest Holding A S Sells 174,494 Shares of Union Pacific Corporation $UNP

Key Points

• Maj Invest Holding A S cut its Union Pacific stake by 33.3%, selling 174,494 shares and retaining 349,171 shares valued at approximately $95.0 million. Institutional investors collectively own 80.38% of UNP.
• Union Pacific reported quarterly EPS of $3.41, exceeding estimates by $0.15, while revenue rose 11.5% year over year to $6.86 billion.
• The company raised its quarterly dividend to $1.42 per share, equivalent to a $5.68 annual payout and a 1.9% yield. Analysts maintain a “Moderate Buy” consensus with an average price target of $320.89.

Maj Invest Holding A S trimmed its holdings in Union Pacific Corporation (NYSE:UNP - Free Report) by 33.3% during the second quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The firm owned 349,171 shares of the railroad operator's stock after selling 174,494 shares during the quarter. Union Pacific comprises about 4.3% of Maj Invest Holding A S's portfolio, making the stock its 14th biggest position. Maj Invest Holding A S owned approximately 0.06% of Union Pacific worth $94,975,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Several other institutional investors and hedge funds also recently made changes to their positions in UNP. Vanguard Group Inc. lifted its position in shares of Union Pacific by 1.1% during 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 acquiring an additional 659,378 shares during the period. State Street Corp grew 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 worth $6,090,674,000 after purchasing an additional 1,082,285 shares during the period. Capital World Investors grew its holdings in 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 purchasing an additional 9,655,306 shares during the period. Geode Capital Management LLC grew its holdings in Union Pacific by 2.0% in the fourth quarter. Geode Capital Management LLC now owns 15,360,668 shares of the railroad operator's stock worth $3,552,550,000 after purchasing an additional 296,814 shares during the period. Finally, Bank of America Corp DE increased its stake in Union Pacific by 16.8% in the first quarter. Bank of America Corp DE now owns 14,463,071 shares of the railroad operator's stock valued at $3,509,030,000 after purchasing an additional 2,084,808 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors own 80.38% of the company's stock.

Insider Transactions at Union Pacific

In other Union Pacific news, EVP Eric J. Gehringer sold 2,991 shares of Union Pacific stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, June 3rd. The stock was sold at an average price of $263.96, for a total transaction of $789,504.36. Following the completion of the transaction, the executive vice president owned 43,012 shares in the company, valued at approximately $11,353,447.52. The trade was a 6.50% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through the SEC website. Company insiders own 0.22% of the company's stock.

Union Pacific Stock Performance

UNP opened at $292.98 on Friday. Union Pacific Corporation has a 1-year low of $210.84 and a 1-year high of $315.99. The company has a market cap of $174.05 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 23.72, a PEG ratio of 3.00 and a beta of 0.96. The company's fifty day moving average price is $280.13 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $262.83. The company has a current ratio of 0.99, a quick ratio of 0.82 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.40.

Union Pacific (NYSE:UNP - Get Free Report) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, July 23rd. The railroad operator reported $3.41 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating analysts' consensus estimates of $3.26 by $0.15. The firm had revenue of $6.86 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $6.72 billion. Union Pacific had a net margin of 28.85% and a return on equity of 38.46%. The business's revenue was up 11.5% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period last year, the company earned $3.03 earnings per share. On average, analysts expect that Union Pacific Corporation will post 12.9 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Union Pacific Increases Dividend

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, September 30th. Investors of record on Monday, August 31st will be given a $1.42 dividend. This represents a $5.68 annualized dividend and a yield of 1.9%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Monday, August 31st. This is a positive change from Union Pacific's previous quarterly dividend of $1.38. Union Pacific's payout ratio is 44.70%.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several equities analysts have recently weighed in on UNP shares. TD Cowen reiterated a "buy" rating and set a $325.00 price objective (up from $282.00) on shares of Union Pacific in a report on Friday, July 24th. Benchmark raised their target price on Union Pacific from $325.00 to $335.00 and gave the company a "buy" rating in a research note on Friday, July 24th. Citigroup boosted their target price on Union Pacific from $326.00 to $349.00 and gave the company a "buy" rating in a research report on Friday, July 24th. Wells Fargo & Company reaffirmed an "overweight" rating and set a $335.00 price target (up from $315.00) on shares of Union Pacific in a research note on Friday, July 24th. Finally, Royal Bank Of Canada reissued an "outperform" rating and issued a $339.00 price objective (up from $289.00) on shares of Union Pacific in a research note on Friday, July 24th. Two research analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, thirteen have assigned a Buy rating and seven have issued a Hold rating to the company's stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, Union Pacific presently has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus price target of $320.89.

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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