Union Pacific Corporation $UNP Shares Sold by Private Capital Advisors Inc.

Key Points

• Private Capital Advisors reduced its Union Pacific stake by 9.0% in the fourth quarter, selling 5,365 shares and leaving it with 54,340 shares worth about $12.57 million.
• Union Pacific also saw recent insider selling, including EVP Kenyatta G. Rocker’s sale of 27,387 shares; insiders sold 31,386 shares total over the last 90 days.
• The company reported better-than-expected quarterly results, with EPS of $2.93 versus $2.86 expected and revenue of $6.22 billion, while also announcing a quarterly dividend of $1.38 per share.

Private Capital Advisors Inc. cut its stake in Union Pacific Corporation (NYSE:UNP - Free Report) by 9.0% during the 4th quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The firm owned 54,340 shares of the railroad operator's stock after selling 5,365 shares during the period. Union Pacific accounts for approximately 1.3% of Private Capital Advisors Inc.'s investment portfolio, making the stock its 17th largest holding. Private Capital Advisors Inc.'s holdings in Union Pacific were worth $12,570,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Several other large investors have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in UNP. Midwest Trust Co grew 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 purchasing an additional 7,759 shares in the last quarter. Thrivent Financial for Lutherans grew 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 purchasing an additional 17,696 shares in the last quarter. Bessemer Group Inc. grew its stake in shares of Union Pacific by 29.6% in the third quarter. Bessemer Group Inc. now owns 653,589 shares of the railroad operator's stock worth $154,488,000 after purchasing an additional 149,158 shares in the last quarter. AustralianSuper Pty Ltd bought a new position in shares of Union Pacific in the third quarter worth $802,000. Finally, Berman McAleer LLC bought a new position in shares of Union Pacific in the third quarter worth $1,036,000. 80.38% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Insider Activity at Union Pacific

In other news, EVP Kenyatta G. Rocker sold 27,387 shares of the company's stock in a transaction on Friday, April 24th. The stock was sold at an average price of $271.76, for a total transaction of $7,442,691.12. Following the completion of the sale, the executive vice president directly owned 61,102 shares of the company's stock, valued at $16,605,079.52. This represents a 30.95% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a document filed 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 shares were sold at an average price of $234.93, for a total value of $469,625.07. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. Insiders sold 31,386 shares of company stock valued at $8,461,716 over the last 90 days. 0.22% of the stock is currently owned by corporate insiders.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

Several research firms have recently issued reports on UNP. 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. Evercore reissued an "outperform" rating and issued a $277.00 price target on shares of Union Pacific in a research note on Friday, April 24th. Robert W. Baird set a $311.00 price target on Union Pacific and gave the stock an "outperform" rating in a research note on Friday, March 6th. Barclays reissued an "overweight" rating and issued a $315.00 price target (up from $285.00) on shares of Union Pacific in a research note on Friday, April 24th. Finally, Citigroup reaffirmed a "buy" rating and set a $307.00 target price (up from $285.00) on shares of Union Pacific in a research note on Friday, April 24th. One analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, twelve have issued a Buy rating and eight have issued a Hold rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat, Union Pacific has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus price target of $280.47.

Union Pacific Trading Up 0.1%

Shares of UNP stock opened at $265.65 on Friday. The stock has a 50-day simple moving average of $253.79 and a 200 day simple moving average of $243.82. Union Pacific Corporation has a fifty-two week low of $210.84 and a fifty-two week high of $276.40. The stock has a market capitalization of $157.72 billion, a P/E ratio of 21.88, a P/E/G ratio of 2.82 and a beta of 0.99. The company has a quick ratio of 0.73, a current ratio of 0.92 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.53.

Union Pacific (NYSE:UNP - Get Free Report) last announced its earnings results on Thursday, April 23rd. The railroad operator reported $2.93 earnings per share for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $2.86 by $0.07. Union Pacific had a return on equity of 39.58% and a net margin of 29.20%.The business had revenue of $6.22 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $6.12 billion. During the same quarter last year, the business posted $2.70 earnings per share. The company's quarterly revenue was up 3.2% on a year-over-year basis. On average, sell-side analysts expect that Union Pacific Corporation will post 12.53 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Union Pacific Announces Dividend

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

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.

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.