Union Pacific Corporation $UNP Shares Sold by State of Wisconsin Investment Board

Key Points

• State of Wisconsin Investment Board trimmed its Union Pacific position by 2.1% in the fourth quarter, selling 6,736 shares and leaving it with 307,348 shares valued at about $71.1 million.
• Union Pacific reported better-than-expected first-quarter results, with earnings of $2.93 per share versus the $2.86 estimate and revenue of $6.22 billion, up 3.2% from a year earlier.
• The company also announced a quarterly dividend of $1.38 per share, payable June 30, while analysts remain generally positive with a consensus Moderate Buy rating and average price target of $282.21.

State of Wisconsin Investment Board lowered its position in Union Pacific Corporation (NYSE:UNP - Free Report) by 2.1% during the fourth quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The fund owned 307,348 shares of the railroad operator's stock after selling 6,736 shares during the quarter. State of Wisconsin Investment Board owned 0.05% of Union Pacific worth $71,096,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

Other hedge funds and other institutional investors also recently modified their holdings of the company. Magellan Asset Management Ltd acquired a new position in shares of Union Pacific during the third quarter worth about $69,343,000. Jefferies Financial Group Inc. lifted its stake in shares of Union Pacific by 1,581.2% during the third quarter. Jefferies Financial Group Inc. now owns 232,000 shares of the railroad operator's stock worth $54,838,000 after purchasing an additional 218,200 shares in the last quarter. North Dakota State Investment Board acquired a new position in shares of Union Pacific during the fourth quarter worth about $4,746,000. First National Bank of Omaha lifted its stake in shares of Union Pacific by 35.8% during the fourth quarter. First National Bank of Omaha now owns 54,635 shares of the railroad operator's stock worth $12,665,000 after purchasing an additional 14,399 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Avanza Fonder AB acquired a new position in shares of Union Pacific during the fourth quarter worth about $1,449,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 80.38% of the company's stock.

Union Pacific Stock Up 0.1%

Shares of Union Pacific stock opened at $267.54 on Wednesday. The company has a quick ratio of 0.73, a current ratio of 0.92 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.53. The business has a 50-day moving average price of $263.15 and a 200 day moving average price of $249.38. Union Pacific Corporation has a fifty-two week low of $210.84 and a fifty-two week high of $279.70. The firm has a market cap of $158.84 billion, a P/E ratio of 22.04, a P/E/G ratio of 2.83 and a beta of 0.97.

Union Pacific (NYSE:UNP - Get Free Report) last issued its earnings results 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 return on equity of 39.58% and a net margin of 29.20%.The company had revenue of $6.22 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $6.12 billion. During the same period in the previous year, the firm posted $2.70 earnings per share. Union Pacific's quarterly revenue was up 3.2% compared to the same quarter last year. On average, sell-side analysts forecast that Union Pacific Corporation will post 12.55 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Union Pacific Announces Dividend

The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, June 30th. Shareholders of record on Friday, May 29th will be paid a $1.38 dividend. This represents a $5.52 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 2.1%. The ex-dividend date is Friday, May 29th. Union Pacific's payout ratio is presently 45.47%.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

A number of analysts have recently issued reports on UNP shares. Barclays reaffirmed an "overweight" rating and set a $315.00 target price (up from $285.00) on shares of Union Pacific in a research report on Friday, April 24th. Raymond James Financial set a $310.00 target price on Union Pacific in a research report on Friday, April 24th. Weiss Ratings raised Union Pacific from a "buy (b-)" rating to a "buy (b)" rating in a research report on Tuesday, April 21st. Robert W. Baird set a $311.00 target price on Union Pacific and gave the stock an "outperform" rating in a research report on Friday, March 6th. Finally, Sanford C. Bernstein lifted their target price on Union Pacific from $289.00 to $293.00 and gave the stock an "outperform" rating in a research report on Tuesday, March 31st. One research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, twelve have assigned a Buy rating and eight have given a Hold rating to the company's stock. According to MarketBeat, the company has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average price target of $282.21.

Insider Buying and Selling at Union Pacific

In other Union Pacific news, CFO Jennifer L. Hamann sold 2,000 shares of Union Pacific stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, April 24th. The stock was sold at an average price of $274.70, for a total value of $549,400.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief financial officer directly owned 114,642 shares in the company, valued at $31,492,157.40. The trade was a 1.71% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available at this link. Also, EVP Eric J. Gehringer sold 2,991 shares of Union Pacific stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, June 3rd. The shares were sold at an average price of $263.96, for a total value of $789,504.36. Following the completion of the transaction, the executive vice president owned 43,012 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $11,353,447.52. The trade was a 6.50% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. Insiders sold a total of 34,377 shares of company stock worth $9,251,221 over the last ninety days. Company insiders own 0.22% of the company's stock.

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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