Sequoia Financial Advisors LLC Sells 20,169 Shares of Union Pacific Corporation $UNP

Key Points

• Sequoia Financial Advisors LLC reduced its Union Pacific stake by 29% in the first quarter, selling 20,169 shares and leaving it with 49,295 shares valued at about $11.96 million.
• Union Pacific has seen generally bullish analyst sentiment, including a JPMorgan price target increase to $304 and a Stephens upgrade to strong-buy. The stock currently carries a consensus rating of Moderate Buy with a target price of $290.39.
• The company reported better-than-expected quarterly results, posting EPS of $2.93 on revenue of $6.22 billion, while also paying a quarterly dividend of $1.38 per share. Shares recently traded near their 52-week high at $287.27.

Sequoia Financial Advisors LLC trimmed its position in shares of Union Pacific Corporation (NYSE:UNP - Free Report) by 29.0% in the 1st quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the SEC. The fund owned 49,295 shares of the railroad operator's stock after selling 20,169 shares during the quarter. Sequoia Financial Advisors LLC's holdings in Union Pacific were worth $11,960,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Other institutional investors have also modified their holdings of the company. Acadian Asset Management LLC boosted its position in shares of Union Pacific by 40.4% in the 1st quarter. Acadian Asset Management LLC now owns 2,312 shares of the railroad operator's stock worth $546,000 after purchasing an additional 665 shares in the last quarter. Schnieders Capital Management LLC. increased its position in Union Pacific by 0.5% during the 2nd quarter. Schnieders Capital Management LLC. now owns 20,606 shares of the railroad operator's stock valued at $4,741,000 after buying an additional 102 shares in the last quarter. Main Street Financial Solutions LLC raised its stake in Union Pacific by 1.6% in the second quarter. Main Street Financial Solutions LLC now owns 3,733 shares of the railroad operator's stock valued at $859,000 after buying an additional 58 shares during the last quarter. HUB Investment Partners LLC raised its stake in Union Pacific by 10.0% in the second quarter. HUB Investment Partners LLC now owns 6,091 shares of the railroad operator's stock valued at $1,401,000 after buying an additional 554 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Alliancebernstein L.P. boosted its holdings in Union Pacific by 7.4% in the second quarter. Alliancebernstein L.P. now owns 1,528,426 shares of the railroad operator's stock worth $351,660,000 after acquiring an additional 105,664 shares in the last quarter. 80.38% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

Key Stories Impacting Union Pacific

Here are the key news stories impacting Union Pacific this week:

• Positive Sentiment: JPMorgan raised its price target on Union Pacific to $304 from $275, implying additional upside from current levels, while keeping a neutral rating. Article: Union Pacific price target raised by JPMorgan Chase & Co.
• Positive Sentiment: Stephens upgraded Union Pacific to strong-buy, signaling confidence in the railroad’s earnings outlook and valuation momentum. Article: Union Pacific was upgraded by Stephens
• Positive Sentiment: Coverage around Union Pacific and Norfolk Southern’s proposed merger continues to advance, with both companies filing responses as the regulatory review moves forward. Investors may see the deal as a potential long-term strategic catalyst if approved. Article: Norfolk Southern (NSC) Files Merger Response With Union Pacific As STB Review Advances
• Neutral Sentiment: Commentary on the proposed rail merger from Union Pacific and Norfolk Southern CEOs highlights the scale of the strategic opportunity, but also underscores that the deal remains subject to significant regulatory scrutiny. Article: EXCLUSIVE: Union Pacific, Norfolk Southern CEOs talk about the rail merger
• Neutral Sentiment: Seeking Alpha published a downgrade saying buying Union Pacific now may be “too late,” which adds a cautionary note but does not appear to outweigh the bullish analyst actions. Article: Union Pacific: Buying Now Feels Too Late (Rating Downgrade)

Analyst Ratings Changes

UNP has been the topic of a number of research analyst reports. Susquehanna restated a "positive" rating and set a $305.00 price target on shares of Union Pacific in a research note on Friday, June 5th. Benchmark increased their price objective on shares of Union Pacific from $275.00 to $300.00 and gave the company a "buy" rating in a research report on Friday, April 24th. Sanford C. Bernstein lifted their target price on shares of Union Pacific from $289.00 to $293.00 and gave the stock an "outperform" rating in a research note on Tuesday, March 31st. Royal Bank Of Canada reissued an "outperform" rating and set a $289.00 target price (up from $273.00) on shares of Union Pacific in a research report on Friday, April 24th. Finally, BMO Capital Markets restated a "market perform" rating and set a $285.00 price target (up from $278.00) on shares of Union Pacific in a research note on Friday, April 24th. Two research analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, twelve have issued a Buy rating and seven have issued a Hold rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus target price of $290.39.

Insider Activity

In other news, CFO Jennifer L. Hamann sold 2,000 shares of the company's stock in a transaction on Friday, April 24th. The shares were sold at an average price of $274.70, for a total value of $549,400.00. Following the sale, the chief financial officer directly owned 114,642 shares of the company's stock, valued at $31,492,157.40. This represents a 1.71% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through the SEC website. 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 transaction of $7,442,691.12. Following the completion of the sale, the executive vice president owned 61,102 shares in the company, valued at $16,605,079.52. The trade was a 30.95% decrease in their position. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. Insiders have sold 32,378 shares of company stock valued at $8,781,595 in the last ninety days. Insiders own 0.22% of the company's stock.

Union Pacific Stock Performance

Shares of UNP stock traded up $2.23 during mid-day trading on Friday, reaching $287.27. The stock had a trading volume of 1,876,184 shares, compared to its average volume of 2,394,006. The business's fifty day moving average is $269.23 and its 200-day moving average is $253.94. The company has a current ratio of 0.92, a quick ratio of 0.73 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.53. The firm has a market cap of $170.55 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 23.66, a PEG ratio of 3.02 and a beta of 0.96. Union Pacific Corporation has a 1-year low of $210.84 and a 1-year high of $288.90.

Union Pacific (NYSE:UNP - Get Free Report) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, April 23rd. The railroad operator reported $2.93 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $2.86 by $0.07. The firm had revenue of $6.22 billion during 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 company's revenue for the quarter was up 3.2% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period last year, the business posted $2.70 earnings per share. On average, research analysts forecast that Union Pacific Corporation will post 12.56 earnings per share for the current year.

Union Pacific Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Tuesday, June 30th. Shareholders of record on Friday, May 29th were paid a dividend of $1.38 per share. This represents a $5.52 annualized dividend and a yield of 1.9%. The ex-dividend date was Friday, May 29th. Union Pacific's 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.

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