QRG Capital Management Inc. Buys 19,477 Shares of Union Pacific Corporation $UNP

Key Points

• QRG Capital Management boosted its stake in Union Pacific by 34% in Q4, buying 19,477 shares to hold 76,709 shares worth approximately $17.74 million at period end.
• Several large institutions also increased positions—most notably Vanguard (about 59.33M shares, ~$13.72B)—leaving institutional ownership at 80.38%.
• Union Pacific recently beat quarterly estimates with $2.93 EPS (vs. $2.86) and $6.22B revenue, and pays a quarterly dividend of $1.38 (annualized $5.52, ~2.1% yield).

QRG Capital Management Inc. lifted its stake in Union Pacific Corporation (NYSE:UNP - Free Report) by 34.0% in the 4th quarter, according to the company in its most recent Form 13F filing with the SEC. The firm owned 76,709 shares of the railroad operator's stock after buying an additional 19,477 shares during the period. QRG Capital Management Inc.'s holdings in Union Pacific were worth $17,744,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Several other hedge funds have also made changes to their positions in the stock. Vanguard Group Inc. lifted 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 valued at $13,724,045,000 after buying an additional 659,378 shares during the period. Capital World Investors lifted its stake in shares of Union Pacific by 193.3% in the third 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 period. UBS AM A Distinct Business Unit of UBS Asset Management Americas LLC lifted its stake in shares of Union Pacific by 72.7% in the third 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 valued at $2,169,168,000 after buying an additional 3,861,636 shares during the period. Capital Research Global Investors lifted its stake in shares of Union Pacific by 95.0% in the third quarter. Capital Research Global Investors now owns 8,713,196 shares of the railroad operator's stock valued at $2,059,538,000 after buying an additional 4,244,226 shares during the period. Finally, Franklin Resources Inc. lifted its stake in shares of Union Pacific by 18.9% in the third quarter. Franklin Resources Inc. now owns 7,164,334 shares of the railroad operator's stock valued at $1,693,434,000 after buying an additional 1,139,926 shares during the period. Institutional investors own 80.38% of the company's stock.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

Several equities research analysts recently weighed in on the stock. Citigroup reiterated a "buy" rating and issued a $307.00 target price (up from $285.00) on shares of Union Pacific in a research note on Friday, April 24th. BMO Capital Markets reissued a "market perform" rating and issued a $285.00 price target (up from $278.00) on shares of Union Pacific in a research report on Friday, April 24th. Wells Fargo & Company reiterated an "overweight" rating and issued a $300.00 price objective (up from $260.00) on shares of Union Pacific in a research note on Friday, April 24th. Royal Bank Of Canada reissued an "outperform" rating and issued a $289.00 target price (up from $273.00) on shares of Union Pacific in a report on Friday, April 24th. Finally, The Goldman Sachs Group restated a "neutral" rating and set a $267.00 target price on shares of Union Pacific in a research report on Tuesday, January 27th. One research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, thirteen have assigned a Buy rating and eight have given a Hold rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat, the company currently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average price target of $279.55.

Union Pacific Price Performance

Shares of UNP stock opened at $263.57 on Tuesday. The stock's fifty day simple moving average is $252.18 and its 200 day simple moving average is $239.51. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.53, a current ratio of 0.92 and a quick ratio of 0.73. The firm has a market cap of $156.48 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 21.71, a P/E/G ratio of 2.83 and a beta of 0.99. Union Pacific Corporation has a one year low of $210.84 and a one year high of $274.79.

Union Pacific (NYSE:UNP - Get Free Report) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, April 23rd. The railroad operator reported $2.93 EPS for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $2.86 by $0.07. The business had revenue of $6.22 billion for 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 quarterly 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, analysts expect that Union Pacific Corporation will post 12.53 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Union Pacific Dividend Announcement

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Tuesday, March 31st. Stockholders of record on Friday, February 27th were issued a dividend of $1.38 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Friday, February 27th. This represents a $5.52 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 2.1%. Union Pacific's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 45.47%.

Insider Transactions at Union Pacific

In other news, EVP Eric J. Gehringer sold 1,999 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, March 20th. The shares were sold at an average price of $234.93, for a total transaction of $469,625.07. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this hyperlink. 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 sale, the chief financial officer directly owned 114,642 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $31,492,157.40. The trade was a 1.71% decrease in their position. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. Over the last 90 days, insiders sold 31,386 shares of company stock valued at $8,461,716. Corporate insiders own 0.22% of the company's stock.

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.