Markel Group Inc. Purchases 14,500 Shares of Union Pacific Corporation $UNP

Key Points

• Markel Group Inc. increased its Union Pacific stake by 11.4% in the fourth quarter, buying 14,500 additional shares and bringing its total holdings to 141,278 shares worth about $32.68 million.
• Union Pacific reported solid quarterly results, posting EPS of $2.93 versus estimates of $2.86 and revenue of $6.22 billion versus expectations of $6.12 billion, with revenue up 3.2% year over year.
• Analysts remain generally positive on the stock, with a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $280.47, while the company also declared a quarterly dividend of $1.38 per share.

Markel Group Inc. boosted its position in Union Pacific Corporation (NYSE:UNP - Free Report) by 11.4% in the 4th quarter, according to the company in its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The institutional investor owned 141,278 shares of the railroad operator's stock after buying an additional 14,500 shares during the quarter. Markel Group Inc.'s holdings in Union Pacific were worth $32,680,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC).

Several other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also bought and sold shares of UNP. Midwest Trust Co raised its holdings in shares of Union Pacific by 2.8% during the third quarter. Midwest Trust Co now owns 281,036 shares of the railroad operator's stock valued at $66,428,000 after acquiring an additional 7,759 shares in the last quarter. Thrivent Financial for Lutherans raised its holdings in shares of Union Pacific by 15.1% during the third quarter. Thrivent Financial for Lutherans now owns 135,188 shares of the railroad operator's stock valued at $31,955,000 after acquiring an additional 17,696 shares in the last quarter. Bessemer Group Inc. raised its holdings in shares of Union Pacific by 29.6% during the third quarter. Bessemer Group Inc. now owns 653,589 shares of the railroad operator's stock valued at $154,488,000 after acquiring an additional 149,158 shares in the last quarter. AustralianSuper Pty Ltd bought a new position in shares of Union Pacific during the third quarter valued at approximately $802,000. Finally, Berman McAleer LLC bought a new position in shares of Union Pacific during the third quarter valued at approximately $1,036,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 80.38% of the company's stock.

Insider Buying and Selling

In related news, EVP Eric J. Gehringer sold 1,999 shares of the company's stock in a transaction on Friday, March 20th. The stock was sold at an average price of $234.93, for a total value of $469,625.07. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. Also, EVP Kenyatta G. Rocker sold 27,387 shares of the 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 completion of the sale, the executive vice president directly owned 61,102 shares in the company, valued at approximately $16,605,079.52. This represents a 30.95% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. Insiders have sold a total of 31,386 shares of company stock valued at $8,461,716 over the last ninety days. Company insiders own 0.22% of the company's stock.

Analyst Ratings Changes

A number of brokerages recently commented on UNP. Weiss Ratings upgraded Union Pacific from a "buy (b-)" rating to a "buy (b)" rating in a report on Tuesday, April 21st. Sanford C. Bernstein upped their target price on Union Pacific from $289.00 to $293.00 and gave the company an "outperform" rating in a report on Tuesday, March 31st. UBS Group restated a "neutral" rating and set 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 target price on Union Pacific in a report on Friday, April 24th. Finally, Wells Fargo & Company reaffirmed an "overweight" rating and issued a $300.00 price target (up from $260.00) on shares of Union Pacific in a research note on Friday, April 24th. One research 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's stock. According to MarketBeat.com, Union Pacific has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus target price of $280.47.

Union Pacific Price Performance

Shares of UNP stock opened at $265.65 on Friday. The stock has a market cap of $157.72 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 21.88, a PEG ratio of 2.82 and a beta of 0.99. The business's fifty day moving average is $253.79 and its 200 day moving average is $243.82. Union Pacific Corporation has a twelve month low of $210.84 and a twelve month high of $276.40. The company has a quick ratio of 0.73, a current ratio of 0.92 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.53.

Union Pacific (NYSE:UNP - Get Free Report) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, April 23rd. The railroad operator reported $2.93 earnings per share for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $2.86 by $0.07. The company had revenue of $6.22 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $6.12 billion. Union Pacific had a return on equity of 39.58% and a net margin of 29.20%.The firm's revenue for the quarter was up 3.2% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period in the prior year, the firm earned $2.70 earnings per share. Research analysts expect that Union Pacific Corporation will post 12.53 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Union Pacific Dividend Announcement

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

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.

Want to see what other hedge funds are holding UNP? Visit HoldingsChannel.com to get the latest 13F filings and insider trades for Union Pacific Corporation (NYSE:UNP - Free Report).

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.