Teacher Retirement System of Texas Has $39.79 Million Position in Union Pacific Corporation $UNP

Key Points

• Teacher Retirement System of Texas reduced its stake by 45.3% in Q4, selling 142,408 shares and leaving a holding of 172,015 shares worth $39.79 million.
• Q1 beat: Union Pacific posted adjusted EPS of $2.93 (above consensus) and $6.22B revenue, with management citing pricing power, productivity gains and renewed merger momentum around the proposed Norfolk Southern acquisition that helped lift the stock.
• Analysts' consensus is a Moderate Buy with a $267.48 average price target; the stock is trading near its one‑year high and the company pays a $1.38 quarterly dividend (about a 2.0% yield).

Teacher Retirement System of Texas reduced its position in shares of Union Pacific Corporation (NYSE:UNP - Free Report) by 45.3% in the 4th quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The firm owned 172,015 shares of the railroad operator's stock after selling 142,408 shares during the period. Teacher Retirement System of Texas' holdings in Union Pacific were worth $39,791,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Other institutional investors and hedge funds also recently modified their holdings of the company. Caitlin John LLC acquired a new position in shares of Union Pacific during the third quarter worth about $27,000. Saranac Partners Ltd acquired a new position in shares of Union Pacific during the third quarter worth about $27,000. Stephens Consulting LLC boosted 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 worth $31,000 after buying an additional 44 shares during the period. Beacon Financial Strategies CORP acquired a new position in shares of Union Pacific during the fourth quarter worth about $33,000. Finally, Paladin Advisory Group LLC acquired a new position in shares of Union Pacific during the fourth quarter worth about $33,000. 80.38% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Insider Activity

In other news, EVP Eric J. Gehringer sold 1,999 shares of the business's stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, March 20th. The stock was 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 Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at this link. 0.22% of the stock is currently owned by corporate insiders.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several research firms have recently weighed in on UNP. Raymond James Financial reaffirmed a "strong-buy" rating on shares of Union Pacific in a research report on Wednesday, April 15th. BMO Capital Markets reiterated a "market perform" rating and set a $295.00 target price on shares of Union Pacific in a report on Thursday, February 19th. Sanford C. Bernstein upped their target price on Union Pacific from $289.00 to $293.00 and gave the stock an "outperform" rating in a report on Tuesday, March 31st. Susquehanna reiterated a "buy" rating on shares of Union Pacific in a report on Monday, January 19th. Finally, Weiss Ratings upgraded Union Pacific from a "buy (b-)" rating to a "buy (b)" rating in a report on Tuesday. One analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, fourteen have assigned a Buy rating and eight have issued a Hold rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company presently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus price target of $267.48.

Key Stories Impacting Union Pacific

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

• Positive Sentiment: Q1 beat and strong results — UNP posted adjusted EPS of $2.93 (vs. consensus ~ $2.84) and revenue of $6.22B, with net income and margins improving year‑over‑year; results included a small merger-related charge. This upside is the primary near-term bull case for the stock. Read More.
• Positive Sentiment: Pricing power and efficiency gains — management said stronger pricing, fuel surcharge dynamics and productivity improvements offset cost pressure, lifting profitability and investor confidence in operating execution. Read More.
• Positive Sentiment: Merger momentum — management reiterated its pursuit of the proposed Norfolk Southern acquisition and signaled a revised regulatory filing is imminent, which revived deal optimism and likely contributed to sector re‑rating. Read More.
• Neutral Sentiment: Guidance affirmed — UNP affirmed its full‑year earnings outlook after the quarter, removing some uncertainty around forward estimates but leaving results sensitive to volume/mix and costs. Read More.
• Negative Sentiment: Fuel-cost headwind — management warned that rising fuel prices will pressure margins, a risk that could limit margin expansion if fuel or other input costs continue to climb. Read More.

Union Pacific Trading Up 8.7%

Shares of Union Pacific stock opened at $271.09 on Friday. The business has a fifty day simple moving average of $251.59 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $238.07. Union Pacific Corporation has a 1 year low of $206.63 and a 1 year high of $271.26. The company has a market capitalization of $160.86 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 22.65, a P/E/G ratio of 2.76 and a beta of 0.96. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.64, a current ratio of 0.91 and a quick ratio of 0.75.

Union Pacific (NYSE:UNP - Get Free Report) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, April 23rd. The railroad operator reported $2.93 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $2.86 by $0.07. Union Pacific had a return on equity of 40.89% and a net margin of 29.12%.The business had revenue of $6.22 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $6.12 billion. During the same quarter last year, the firm posted $2.70 EPS. The company's quarterly revenue was up 3.2% on a year-over-year basis. Research analysts forecast that Union Pacific Corporation will post 12.42 EPS for the current 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. This represents a $5.52 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 2.0%. The ex-dividend date was Friday, February 27th. Union Pacific's payout ratio is currently 46.12%.

Union Pacific 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.