Union Pacific Corporation $UNP Shares Sold by Commonwealth of Pennsylvania Public School Empls Retrmt SYS

Key Points

• Commonwealth of Pennsylvania Public School Empls Retrmt SYS trimmed its Union Pacific stake by 0.5% in the fourth quarter, leaving it with 951,760 shares valued at about $220.2 million.
• Union Pacific reported better-than-expected quarterly results, posting EPS of $2.93 versus the $2.86 consensus and revenue of $6.22 billion, up 3.2% from a year earlier.
• The company also announced a quarterly dividend of $1.38 per share, implying an annualized payout of $5.52 and a yield of about 2.1%.

Commonwealth of Pennsylvania Public School Empls Retrmt SYS reduced its position in Union Pacific Corporation (NYSE:UNP - Free Report) by 0.5% in the 4th quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the SEC. The fund owned 951,760 shares of the railroad operator's stock after selling 4,438 shares during the quarter. Union Pacific comprises approximately 1.1% of Commonwealth of Pennsylvania Public School Empls Retrmt SYS's investment portfolio, making the stock its 12th largest position. Commonwealth of Pennsylvania Public School Empls Retrmt SYS owned about 0.16% of Union Pacific worth $220,161,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Several other hedge funds have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in UNP. Rachor Investment Advisory Services LLC acquired a new position in Union Pacific in the 4th quarter valued at $25,000. Tucker Asset Management LLC acquired a new position in Union Pacific in the 4th quarter valued at $25,000. High Point Wealth Management LLC purchased a new stake in Union Pacific in the 4th quarter valued at $26,000. Caitlin John LLC purchased a new stake in Union Pacific in the 3rd quarter valued at $27,000. Finally, Saranac Partners Ltd purchased a new stake in Union Pacific in the 3rd quarter valued at $27,000. 80.38% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Union Pacific Price Performance

UNP stock opened at $262.83 on Friday. 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 capitalization of $156.04 billion, a P/E ratio of 21.65, a P/E/G ratio of 2.79 and a beta of 0.99. The business's 50-day moving average is $256.57 and its two-hundred day moving average is $245.56. Union Pacific Corporation has a 1 year low of $210.84 and a 1 year high of $279.70.

Union Pacific (NYSE:UNP - Get Free Report) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, April 23rd. The railroad operator reported $2.93 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating analysts' consensus estimates of $2.86 by $0.07. The company 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 revenue for the quarter was up 3.2% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter last year, the company earned $2.70 EPS. Analysts anticipate that Union Pacific Corporation will post 12.53 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Union Pacific Announces Dividend

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

Insider Buying and Selling at Union Pacific

In other Union Pacific news, EVP Eric J. Gehringer sold 1,999 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Friday, March 20th. The stock was sold at an average price of $234.93, for a total value of $469,625.07. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available at this link. Also, CFO Jennifer L. Hamann sold 2,000 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Friday, April 24th. The shares were sold at an average price of $274.70, for a total value of $549,400.00. Following the completion of the sale, the chief financial officer directly owned 114,642 shares in the company, valued at $31,492,157.40. This represents a 1.71% decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. Insiders have sold 31,386 shares of company stock valued at $8,461,716 in the last quarter. Corporate insiders own 0.22% of the company's stock.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

UNP has been the subject of several analyst reports. Weiss Ratings upgraded Union Pacific from a "buy (b-)" rating to a "buy (b)" rating in a report on Tuesday, April 21st. Barclays restated an "overweight" rating and issued a $315.00 target price (up from $285.00) on shares of Union Pacific in a report on Friday, April 24th. Citigroup restated a "buy" rating and issued a $307.00 target price (up from $285.00) on shares of Union Pacific in a report on Friday, April 24th. Sanford C. Bernstein upped their target price on Union Pacific from $289.00 to $293.00 and gave the company an "outperform" rating in a report on Tuesday, March 31st. Finally, Royal Bank Of Canada restated 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. One analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, twelve have assigned a Buy rating and eight have issued a Hold rating to the company's stock. According to data from MarketBeat, Union Pacific presently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average price target of $280.47.

More Union Pacific News

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

• Positive Sentiment: The STB did accept Union Pacific’s revised merger application, which keeps the transaction alive and moves it one step forward in the regulatory process. Article Title
• Neutral Sentiment: Brookfield Infrastructure may benefit from divestitures if the merger eventually proceeds, since regulators are expected to require sales of regional lines, yards, or equipment. Article Title
• Neutral Sentiment: Union Pacific and Norfolk Southern said they will work with regulators and continue pushing the case for creating the first transcontinental railroad. Article Title
• Negative Sentiment: The STB’s pause signals more regulatory friction, extending the approval timeline and increasing uncertainty around whether the merger will close on the company’s preferred schedule. Article Title
• Negative Sentiment: CN publicly backed the regulator’s decision to freeze the review, arguing Union Pacific and Norfolk Southern still haven’t met the higher standard needed to justify the deal. Article Title

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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