Union Pacific Corporation $UNP Shares Sold by Legal & General Group Plc

Key Points

• Legal & General Group Plc trimmed its Union Pacific stake by 2.7% in the fourth quarter, selling 125,974 shares. It still held 4.46 million shares worth about $1.03 billion, or 0.75% of the company.
• Union Pacific insiders also sold shares recently, including CFO Jennifer L. Hamann and EVP Kenyatta G. Rocker. In total, insiders sold 31,386 shares worth $8.46 million during the last quarter.
• The railroad posted better-than-expected quarterly results and raised investor focus, with EPS of $2.93 and revenue of $6.22 billion both topping estimates. The company also declared a quarterly dividend of $1.38 per share, and analysts currently rate the stock a “Moderate Buy” with a consensus target of $280.47.

Legal & General Group Plc lowered its stake in Union Pacific Corporation (NYSE:UNP - Free Report) by 2.7% during the fourth quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the SEC. The firm owned 4,458,170 shares of the railroad operator's stock after selling 125,974 shares during the quarter. Legal & General Group Plc owned 0.75% of Union Pacific worth $1,031,264,000 as of its most recent filing with the SEC.

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

Insider Transactions at Union Pacific

In other news, CFO Jennifer L. Hamann sold 2,000 shares of Union Pacific stock in a transaction on Friday, April 24th. The stock was sold at an average price of $274.70, for a total transaction of $549,400.00. Following the transaction, the chief financial officer owned 114,642 shares in the company, valued at $31,492,157.40. The trade was a 1.71% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at this hyperlink. Also, EVP Kenyatta G. Rocker sold 27,387 shares of Union Pacific stock in a transaction on Friday, April 24th. The stock was sold at an average price of $271.76, for a total value of $7,442,691.12. Following the transaction, the executive vice president owned 61,102 shares in the company, valued at approximately $16,605,079.52. This represents a 30.95% decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. Insiders have sold a total of 31,386 shares of company stock worth $8,461,716 in the last quarter. Company insiders own 0.22% of the company's stock.

Union Pacific Trading Down 0.1%

Shares of UNP stock opened at $265.65 on Monday. The stock's fifty day moving average is $253.79 and its two-hundred day moving average is $243.99. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.53, a quick ratio of 0.73 and a current ratio of 0.92. The firm has a market capitalization of $157.72 billion, a P/E ratio of 21.88, a PEG ratio of 2.82 and a beta of 0.99. Union Pacific Corporation has a fifty-two week low of $210.84 and a fifty-two week high of $276.40.

Union Pacific (NYSE:UNP - Get Free Report) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, April 23rd. The railroad operator reported $2.93 earnings per share 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%.The firm's revenue for the quarter was up 3.2% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter last year, the firm posted $2.70 EPS. Research analysts expect 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. Stockholders of record on Friday, May 29th will be issued a dividend of $1.38 per share. This represents a $5.52 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 2.1%. The ex-dividend date is Friday, May 29th. Union Pacific's payout ratio is currently 45.47%.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

A number of equities research analysts recently issued reports on UNP shares. UBS Group reissued a "neutral" rating and issued a $274.00 price target (up from $253.00) on shares of Union Pacific in a research note on Friday, April 24th. Citigroup reissued 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. BMO Capital Markets reissued a "market perform" rating and issued a $285.00 price target (up from $278.00) on shares of Union Pacific in a research note on Friday, April 24th. Royal Bank Of Canada reissued an "outperform" rating and issued a $289.00 price target (up from $273.00) on shares of Union Pacific in a research note on Friday, April 24th. Finally, The Goldman Sachs Group reissued a "neutral" rating and issued a $267.00 price target on shares of Union Pacific in a research note on Tuesday, January 27th. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, twelve have given a Buy rating and eight have given a Hold rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the stock currently has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus price target of $280.47.

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.

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