Union Pacific Corporation $UNP Shares Sold by State of Alaska Department of Revenue

Key Points

• State of Alaska Department of Revenue cut its position in Union Pacific by 7.8% in Q4, selling 4,955 shares and finishing the quarter with 58,712 shares valued at about $13.58 million.
• Union Pacific missed quarterly estimates (EPS $2.86 vs. $2.92 expected; revenue $6.09B vs. $6.15B) but reported strong profitability (net margin 29.12%, ROE 40.89%) and pays a quarterly dividend of $1.38 (2.2% yield).
• Wall Street's consensus is a Moderate Buy with a $265.86 average target, institutional investors own roughly 80.38% of the stock, and EVP Eric Gehringer recently sold 1,999 shares.

State of Alaska Department of Revenue decreased its position in Union Pacific Corporation (NYSE:UNP - Free Report) by 7.8% during the 4th quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 58,712 shares of the railroad operator's stock after selling 4,955 shares during the quarter. State of Alaska Department of Revenue's holdings in Union Pacific were worth $13,581,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Several other hedge funds have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in UNP. Union Bancaire Privee UBP SA raised its holdings in Union Pacific by 9.8% during the third quarter. Union Bancaire Privee UBP SA now owns 52,849 shares of the railroad operator's stock worth $12,492,000 after purchasing an additional 4,707 shares in the last quarter. Midwest Trust Co raised its holdings in Union Pacific by 2.8% during 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. CX Institutional raised its holdings in Union Pacific by 39.8% during the third quarter. CX Institutional now owns 65,826 shares of the railroad operator's stock worth $15,559,000 after purchasing an additional 18,742 shares in the last quarter. Thrivent Financial for Lutherans raised its holdings in Union Pacific by 15.1% during 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. Finally, AustralianSuper Pty Ltd acquired a new stake in Union Pacific during the third quarter worth approximately $802,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 80.38% of the company's stock.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

A number of analysts have weighed in on UNP shares. The Goldman Sachs Group reissued a "neutral" rating and set a $267.00 price objective on shares of Union Pacific in a report on Tuesday, January 27th. TD Cowen lowered their target price on shares of Union Pacific from $257.00 to $255.00 and set a "buy" rating on the stock in a research report on Wednesday, January 28th. Susquehanna restated a "buy" rating on shares of Union Pacific in a research report on Monday, January 19th. BMO Capital Markets restated a "market perform" rating and set a $295.00 target price on shares of Union Pacific in a research report on Thursday, February 19th. Finally, Royal Bank Of Canada set a $280.00 target price on shares of Union Pacific in a research report on Thursday, December 18th. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, fifteen have assigned a Buy rating and eight have given a Hold rating to the company's stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the stock currently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus target price of $265.86.

Insider Activity at Union Pacific

In other Union Pacific news, EVP Eric J. Gehringer sold 1,999 shares of the business's stock in a transaction on Friday, March 20th. The shares were sold at an average price of $234.93, for a total transaction of $469,625.07. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. Insiders own 0.22% of the company's stock.

Union Pacific Stock Performance

NYSE:UNP opened at $250.81 on Monday. The firm's fifty day moving average price is $251.43 and its 200 day moving average price is $236.96. Union Pacific Corporation has a 1-year low of $206.63 and a 1-year high of $268.14. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.64, a current ratio of 0.91 and a quick ratio of 0.75. The firm has a market cap of $148.83 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 20.95, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 3.05 and a beta of 0.96.

Union Pacific (NYSE:UNP - Get Free Report) last posted its quarterly earnings data 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). Union Pacific had a net margin of 29.12% and a return on equity of 40.89%. The firm had revenue of $6.09 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $6.15 billion. During the same quarter last year, the business earned $2.91 earnings per share. The business's quarterly revenue was down .6% on a year-over-year basis. On average, sell-side analysts expect that Union Pacific Corporation will post 11.99 EPS for the current year.

Union Pacific Dividend Announcement

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

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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