Senator Investment Group LP Sells 46,274 Shares of Union Pacific Corporation $UNP

Key Points

• Senator Investment Group LP trimmed its Union Pacific stake by 14.4% in Q4, selling 46,274 shares and leaving it with 274,833 shares worth about $63.6 million.
• Union Pacific’s latest quarterly results beat expectations, with EPS of $2.93 versus $2.86 expected and revenue of $6.22 billion versus $6.12 billion forecast. Revenue rose 3.2% year over year.
• Analysts remain generally positive, with an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $282.21. The company also declared a quarterly dividend of $1.38 per share, payable June 30.

Senator Investment Group LP decreased its position in shares of Union Pacific Corporation (NYSE:UNP - Free Report) by 14.4% in the 4th quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the SEC. The firm owned 274,833 shares of the railroad operator's stock after selling 46,274 shares during the quarter. Union Pacific makes up 2.5% of Senator Investment Group LP's investment portfolio, making the stock its 14th largest position. Senator Investment Group LP's holdings in Union Pacific were worth $63,574,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Other institutional investors and hedge funds also recently made changes to their positions in the company. Rachor Investment Advisory Services LLC bought a new position in shares of Union Pacific during the 4th quarter worth $25,000. Tucker Asset Management LLC bought a new position in shares of Union Pacific during the 4th quarter worth $25,000. SWAN Capital LLC grew its stake in shares of Union Pacific by 2,575.0% during the 4th quarter. SWAN Capital LLC now owns 107 shares of the railroad operator's stock worth $25,000 after acquiring an additional 103 shares during the period. High Point Wealth Management LLC bought a new position in shares of Union Pacific during the 4th quarter worth $26,000. Finally, Caitlin John LLC bought a new position in shares of Union Pacific during the 3rd quarter worth $27,000. Institutional investors own 80.38% of the company's stock.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

A number of analysts recently issued reports on the company. BMO Capital Markets reissued a "market perform" rating and set a $285.00 price objective (up from $278.00) on shares of Union Pacific in a report on Friday, April 24th. UBS Group reissued a "neutral" rating and set a $274.00 price objective (up from $253.00) on shares of Union Pacific in a report on Friday, April 24th. Evercore reissued an "outperform" rating and set a $277.00 price objective on shares of Union Pacific in a report on Friday, April 24th. Weiss Ratings raised Union Pacific from a "buy (b-)" rating to a "buy (b)" rating in a report on Tuesday, April 21st. Finally, JPMorgan Chase & Co. increased their price objective on Union Pacific from $267.00 to $275.00 and gave the stock a "neutral" rating in a report on Friday, April 24th. One analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, twelve have issued a Buy rating and eight have assigned a Hold rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat, the company presently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average target price of $282.21.

Union Pacific Stock Performance

NYSE:UNP opened at $267.54 on Tuesday. The business's 50-day moving average price is $262.69 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $249.13. Union Pacific Corporation has a twelve month low of $210.84 and a twelve month high of $279.70. The stock has a market cap of $158.84 billion, a P/E ratio of 22.04, a PEG ratio of 2.89 and a beta of 0.97. 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 released its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, April 23rd. The railroad operator reported $2.93 earnings per share for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $2.86 by $0.07. Union Pacific had a return on equity of 39.58% and a net margin of 29.20%.The firm had revenue of $6.22 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $6.12 billion. During the same quarter last year, the firm posted $2.70 EPS. The company's revenue was up 3.2% compared to the same quarter last year. As a group, equities analysts predict that Union Pacific Corporation will post 12.55 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Union Pacific Announces Dividend

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, June 30th. Investors of record on Friday, May 29th will be issued a dividend of $1.38 per share. This represents a $5.52 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 2.1%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, May 29th. Union Pacific's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 45.47%.

Insider Activity at Union Pacific

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 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 transaction was disclosed in a legal 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 in the company, valued at approximately $11,353,447.52. The trade was a 6.50% decrease in their ownership of the stock. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. In the last three months, insiders have sold 34,377 shares of company stock valued at $9,251,221. Corporate insiders own 0.22% of the company's stock.

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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