Union Pacific Corporation $UNP Shares Sold by Factory Mutual Insurance Co.

Key Points

• Factory Mutual Insurance Co. cut its stake in Union Pacific by 3.1% in Q4, selling 7,200 shares and leaving it with 227,950 shares worth about $52.73 million.
• Union Pacific missed Q4 estimates, reporting EPS of $2.86 versus $2.92 expected and revenue of $6.09 billion versus $6.15 billion, with revenue down 0.6% year‑over‑year.
• The company pays a quarterly dividend of $1.38 (annualized $5.52, ~2.2% yield) and holds an average analyst rating of Moderate Buy with a $265.86 average price target.

Factory Mutual Insurance Co. cut its position in Union Pacific Corporation (NYSE:UNP - Free Report) by 3.1% during the fourth quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The fund owned 227,950 shares of the railroad operator's stock after selling 7,200 shares during the period. Factory Mutual Insurance Co.'s holdings in Union Pacific were worth $52,729,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC).

Other institutional investors have also recently made changes to their positions in the company. Union Bancaire Privee UBP SA boosted its stake in shares of Union Pacific by 9.8% in the third quarter. Union Bancaire Privee UBP SA now owns 52,849 shares of the railroad operator's stock worth $12,492,000 after acquiring an additional 4,707 shares during the last quarter. Midwest Trust Co boosted its stake in shares of Union Pacific by 2.8% in the third quarter. Midwest Trust Co now owns 281,036 shares of the railroad operator's stock worth $66,428,000 after acquiring an additional 7,759 shares during the last quarter. CX Institutional boosted its stake in shares of Union Pacific by 39.8% in the third quarter. CX Institutional now owns 65,826 shares of the railroad operator's stock worth $15,559,000 after acquiring an additional 18,742 shares during the last quarter. Thrivent Financial for Lutherans boosted its stake in shares of Union Pacific by 15.1% in the third quarter. Thrivent Financial for Lutherans now owns 135,188 shares of the railroad operator's stock worth $31,955,000 after acquiring an additional 17,696 shares during the last quarter. Finally, AustralianSuper Pty Ltd acquired a new stake in shares of Union Pacific in the third quarter worth approximately $802,000. 80.38% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Union Pacific Stock Performance

Shares of Union Pacific stock opened at $250.81 on Friday. Union Pacific Corporation has a one year low of $206.63 and a one year high of $268.14. The business's 50 day moving average price is $251.43 and its 200 day moving average price is $236.85. The company has a market cap of $148.83 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 20.95, a PEG ratio of 3.02 and a beta of 0.96. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.64, a quick ratio of 0.75 and a current ratio of 0.91.

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

Union Pacific Announces Dividend

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

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of brokerages recently commented on UNP. The Goldman Sachs Group reiterated a "neutral" rating and set a $267.00 price objective on shares of Union Pacific in a research report on Tuesday, January 27th. Evercore upgraded Union Pacific from an "in-line" rating to an "outperform" rating and set a $262.00 price objective on the stock in a research report on Thursday, March 19th. Barclays reiterated an "overweight" rating and set a $285.00 price objective (up from $270.00) on shares of Union Pacific in a research report on Tuesday, December 16th. Raymond James Financial reiterated a "strong-buy" rating on shares of Union Pacific in a research report on Tuesday, January 27th. Finally, Royal Bank Of Canada set a $280.00 price objective on Union Pacific in a research report on Thursday, December 18th. One analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, fifteen have given a Buy rating and eight have assigned a Hold rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat, Union Pacific presently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average target price of $265.86.

Insider Activity

In related news, EVP Eric J. Gehringer sold 1,999 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction dated 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 filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. Insiders own 0.28% of the company's stock.

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.

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.