Union Pacific Corporation $UNP Shares Sold by Diamond Hill Capital Management Inc.

Key Points

• Diamond Hill Capital Management cut its Union Pacific stake by 10.2% in the fourth quarter, selling 174,866 shares and leaving it with 1,544,680 shares valued at about $357.3 million.
• Insider selling has also been notable, including EVP Kenyatta G. Rocker’s sale of 27,387 shares and EVP Eric J. Gehringer’s sale of 1,999 shares; insiders sold 31,386 shares in the last 90 days.
• Union Pacific beat earnings estimates with Q1 EPS of $2.93 versus $2.86 expected and revenue of $6.22 billion, while analysts now hold a consensus Moderate Buy rating with an average price target of $280.47.

Diamond Hill Capital Management Inc. reduced its position in shares of Union Pacific Corporation (NYSE:UNP - Free Report) by 10.2% in the 4th quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The firm owned 1,544,680 shares of the railroad operator's stock after selling 174,866 shares during the period. Union Pacific comprises about 1.8% of Diamond Hill Capital Management Inc.'s holdings, making the stock its 16th largest holding. Diamond Hill Capital Management Inc. owned about 0.26% of Union Pacific worth $357,315,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

A number of other institutional investors have also recently made changes to their positions in the business. Tucker Asset Management LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Union Pacific during the fourth quarter worth $25,000. Rachor Investment Advisory Services LLC acquired a new stake in Union Pacific in the fourth quarter valued at approximately $25,000. Caitlin John LLC purchased a new position in Union Pacific in the third quarter worth approximately $27,000. Saranac Partners Ltd purchased a new position in Union Pacific in the third quarter worth approximately $27,000. Finally, High Point Wealth Management LLC acquired a new position in Union Pacific during the 4th quarter worth approximately $26,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 80.38% of the company's stock.

Insider Buying and Selling at Union Pacific

In related news, EVP Kenyatta G. Rocker sold 27,387 shares of Union Pacific stock in a transaction on Friday, April 24th. The shares were sold at an average price of $271.76, for a total value 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 filing with the SEC, which is available at the SEC website. Also, EVP Eric J. Gehringer sold 1,999 shares of the company's stock in a transaction on Friday, March 20th. The stock was sold at an average price of $234.93, for a total transaction of $469,625.07. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. In the last ninety days, insiders have sold 31,386 shares of company stock worth $8,461,716. 0.22% of the stock is currently owned by insiders.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

Several research firms have recently issued reports on UNP. Benchmark lifted their price objective on shares of Union Pacific from $275.00 to $300.00 and gave the stock a "buy" rating in a research report on Friday, April 24th. BMO Capital Markets reaffirmed a "market perform" rating and set a $285.00 price target (up from $278.00) 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. Citigroup reiterated a "buy" rating and issued a $307.00 price target (up from $285.00) on shares of Union Pacific in a research note on Friday, April 24th. Finally, JPMorgan Chase & Co. boosted their price objective on shares of Union Pacific from $267.00 to $275.00 and gave the stock a "neutral" rating in a research report on Friday, April 24th. One investment 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. Based on data from MarketBeat, the company currently has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average price target of $280.47.

Union Pacific Stock Performance

Shares of UNP opened at $265.60 on Friday. Union Pacific Corporation has a 12-month low of $210.84 and a 12-month high of $276.40. 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 $157.69 billion, a PE ratio of 21.88, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.82 and a beta of 0.99. The company's 50 day simple moving average is $253.50 and its 200-day simple moving average is $243.67.

Union Pacific (NYSE:UNP - Get Free Report) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, April 23rd. The railroad operator reported $2.93 EPS for the quarter, beating analysts' consensus estimates of $2.86 by $0.07. Union Pacific had a net margin of 29.20% and a return on equity of 39.58%. The company had revenue of $6.22 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $6.12 billion. During the same period in the previous year, the business posted $2.70 earnings per share. Union Pacific's quarterly revenue was up 3.2% on a year-over-year basis. As a group, equities analysts predict that Union Pacific Corporation will post 12.53 EPS for the current year.

Union Pacific Dividend Announcement

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