Sumitomo Mitsui Trust Group Inc. Sells 66,135 Shares of Union Pacific Corporation $UNP

Key Points

• Sumitomo Mitsui Trust Group cut its Union Pacific stake by 4.6%, selling 66,135 shares in Q4 and now holds 1,381,499 shares (about 0.23%) valued at roughly $319.6 million.
• EVP Eric J. Gehringer sold 1,999 shares on March 20 at an average price of $234.93 for proceeds of about $469,625, and insiders collectively own 0.28% of the stock.
• Analysts rate UNP a consensus “Moderate Buy” with an average price target of $265.86 (1 Strong Buy, 15 Buy, 8 Hold).

Sumitomo Mitsui Trust Group Inc. decreased its holdings in shares of Union Pacific Corporation (NYSE:UNP - Free Report) by 4.6% in the fourth quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the SEC. The institutional investor owned 1,381,499 shares of the railroad operator's stock after selling 66,135 shares during the period. Sumitomo Mitsui Trust Group Inc. owned 0.23% of Union Pacific worth $319,568,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

A number of other institutional investors and hedge funds have also made changes to their positions in the business. Caitlin John LLC bought a new stake in shares of Union Pacific during the third quarter valued at approximately $27,000. Saranac Partners Ltd bought a new stake in shares of Union Pacific during the third quarter valued at approximately $27,000. Total Investment Management Inc. bought a new stake in shares of Union Pacific during the second quarter valued at approximately $31,000. Stephens Consulting LLC increased its position in shares of Union Pacific by 48.4% during the fourth quarter. Stephens Consulting LLC now owns 135 shares of the railroad operator's stock valued at $31,000 after acquiring an additional 44 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Beacon Financial Strategies CORP bought a new stake in shares of Union Pacific during the fourth quarter valued at approximately $33,000. Institutional investors own 80.38% of the company's stock.

Analyst Ratings Changes

Several equities research analysts recently weighed in on UNP shares. Raymond James Financial reissued a "strong-buy" rating on shares of Union Pacific in a research report on Tuesday, January 27th. Robert W. Baird set a $311.00 price target on shares of Union Pacific and gave the company an "outperform" rating in a research report on Friday, March 6th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. reduced their price target on shares of Union Pacific from $270.00 to $265.00 and set a "neutral" rating for the company in a research report on Wednesday, January 28th. Royal Bank Of Canada set a $280.00 price target on shares of Union Pacific in a research report on Thursday, December 18th. Finally, Susquehanna reissued a "buy" rating on shares of Union Pacific in a research report on Monday, January 19th. One analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, fifteen have assigned a Buy rating and eight have given a Hold rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, Union Pacific has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average price target of $265.86.

Insider Buying and Selling at Union Pacific

In other news, EVP Eric J. Gehringer sold 1,999 shares of Union Pacific stock in a transaction on Friday, March 20th. The shares were sold at an average price of $234.93, for a total transaction of $469,625.07. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is accessible through this link. 0.28% of the stock is owned by corporate insiders.

Union Pacific Trading Down 0.1%

NYSE:UNP opened at $250.81 on Friday. The company has a current ratio of 0.91, a quick ratio of 0.75 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.64. Union Pacific Corporation has a 12 month low of $206.63 and a 12 month high of $268.14. The company has a market cap of $148.83 billion, a PE ratio of 20.95, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 3.02 and a beta of 0.96. The company has a 50 day simple moving average of $251.43 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $236.92.

Union Pacific (NYSE:UNP - Get Free Report) last posted its earnings results on Tuesday, January 27th. The railroad operator reported $2.86 EPS for the quarter, missing analysts' consensus estimates of $2.92 by ($0.06). Union Pacific had a return on equity of 40.89% and a net margin of 29.12%.The company had revenue of $6.09 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $6.15 billion. During the same period last year, the firm posted $2.91 EPS. The company's revenue for the quarter was down .6% on a year-over-year basis. Research analysts forecast that Union Pacific Corporation will post 11.99 earnings per share for the current year.

Union Pacific Announces Dividend

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Tuesday, March 31st. Stockholders of record on Friday, February 27th were paid a dividend of $1.38 per share. This represents a $5.52 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 2.2%. The ex-dividend date was Friday, February 27th. Union Pacific's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 46.12%.

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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