Union Pacific Corporation $UNP Stake Reduced by Bank Julius Baer & Co. Ltd Zurich

Key Points

• Bank Julius Baer & Co. Ltd Zurich reduced its Union Pacific stake by 62.3% in the fourth quarter, selling 33,923 shares and ending with 20,549 shares valued at about $4.77 million.
• Union Pacific reported better-than-expected quarterly results, with EPS of $2.93 versus estimates of $2.86 and revenue of $6.22 billion versus $6.12 billion expected. Revenue rose 3.2% year over year, and analysts now expect full-year EPS of $12.53.
• The company declared a quarterly dividend of $1.38 per share, payable June 30, implying an annualized yield of about 2.0%. Several analysts remain constructive, with a consensus rating of Moderate Buy and a price target around $280.47.

Bank Julius Baer & Co. Ltd Zurich cut its holdings in Union Pacific Corporation (NYSE:UNP - Free Report) by 62.3% during the 4th quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 20,549 shares of the railroad operator's stock after selling 33,923 shares during the quarter. Bank Julius Baer & Co. Ltd Zurich's holdings in Union Pacific were worth $4,774,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Several other institutional investors and hedge funds have also recently bought and sold shares of UNP. Acadian Asset Management LLC raised its holdings in Union Pacific by 40.4% during the 1st quarter. Acadian Asset Management LLC now owns 2,312 shares of the railroad operator's stock worth $546,000 after buying an additional 665 shares during the period. Schnieders Capital Management LLC. raised its holdings in Union Pacific by 0.5% during the 2nd quarter. Schnieders Capital Management LLC. now owns 20,606 shares of the railroad operator's stock worth $4,741,000 after buying an additional 102 shares during the period. Main Street Financial Solutions LLC grew its stake in Union Pacific by 1.6% during the 2nd quarter. Main Street Financial Solutions LLC now owns 3,733 shares of the railroad operator's stock valued at $859,000 after acquiring an additional 58 shares in the last quarter. HUB Investment Partners LLC grew its stake in Union Pacific by 10.0% during the 2nd quarter. HUB Investment Partners LLC now owns 6,091 shares of the railroad operator's stock valued at $1,401,000 after acquiring an additional 554 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Alliancebernstein L.P. grew its stake in Union Pacific by 7.4% during the 2nd quarter. Alliancebernstein L.P. now owns 1,528,426 shares of the railroad operator's stock valued at $351,660,000 after acquiring an additional 105,664 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 80.38% of the company's stock.

Union Pacific Stock Up 0.5%

Shares of Union Pacific stock opened at $270.58 on Friday. Union Pacific Corporation has a 12-month low of $210.84 and a 12-month high of $274.79. The stock has a market capitalization of $160.65 billion, a P/E ratio of 22.29, a PEG ratio of 2.86 and a beta of 0.99. The stock has a 50 day moving average price of $252.29 and a two-hundred day moving average price of $242.06. 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 issued its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, April 23rd. The railroad operator reported $2.93 EPS for the quarter, topping 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 analyst estimates of $6.12 billion. During the same period in the previous year, the company earned $2.70 earnings per share. The company's quarterly revenue was up 3.2% compared to the same quarter last year. Equities analysts expect that Union Pacific Corporation will post 12.53 earnings per share for the current year.

Union Pacific Dividend Announcement

The firm 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. The ex-dividend date is Friday, May 29th. This represents a $5.52 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 2.0%. Union Pacific's payout ratio is 45.47%.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several brokerages recently commented on UNP. Wells Fargo & Company reissued an "overweight" rating and issued a $300.00 price target (up from $260.00) on shares of Union Pacific in a research note on Friday, April 24th. Susquehanna reissued a "buy" rating on shares of Union Pacific in a research note on Monday, January 19th. 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. 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. Finally, 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. One analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, twelve have assigned a Buy rating and eight have assigned a Hold rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus price target of $280.47.

Insider Transactions at Union Pacific

In other news, EVP Kenyatta G. Rocker sold 27,387 shares of the company's stock in a transaction that occurred 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 transaction, the executive vice president directly owned 61,102 shares in the company, valued at $16,605,079.52. The trade was a 30.95% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through the SEC website. Also, EVP Eric J. Gehringer sold 1,999 shares of the company's stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, March 20th. The stock was 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 a total of 31,386 shares of company stock worth $8,461,716 over the last three months. 0.22% of the stock is currently owned by insiders.

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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