W.G. Shaheen & Associates DBA Whitney & Co Invests $5.43 Million in Union Pacific Corporation $UNP

Key Points

• W.G. Shaheen & Associates DBA Whitney & Co opened a new position in Union Pacific, buying 23,474 shares in Q4 valued at about $5.43 million.
• Union Pacific beat Q1 EPS ($2.93 vs. $2.86) and several brokerages raised price targets, supporting a near‑term bullish analyst narrative on the stock.
• Potential headwinds include heightened regulatory risk from an anti‑merger coalition as UP and Norfolk Southern refile their merger application, alongside notable insider selling that may weigh on sentiment.

W.G. Shaheen & Associates DBA Whitney & Co bought a new position in shares of Union Pacific Corporation (NYSE:UNP - Free Report) in the fourth quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The institutional investor bought 23,474 shares of the railroad operator's stock, valued at approximately $5,430,000.

Other large investors have also modified their holdings of the company. Rachor Investment Advisory Services LLC acquired a new position in shares of Union Pacific during the 4th quarter valued at about $25,000. High Point Wealth Management LLC acquired a new position in shares of Union Pacific during the 4th quarter valued at about $26,000. Caitlin John LLC acquired a new position in shares of Union Pacific during the 3rd quarter valued at about $27,000. Saranac Partners Ltd acquired a new position in shares of Union Pacific during the 3rd quarter valued at about $27,000. Finally, Stephens Consulting LLC boosted its position in shares of Union Pacific by 48.4% during the 4th quarter. Stephens Consulting LLC now owns 135 shares of the railroad operator's stock valued at $31,000 after acquiring an additional 44 shares during the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 80.38% of the company's stock.

Key Stories Impacting Union Pacific

Here are the key news stories impacting Union Pacific this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Union Pacific reported a Q1 beat (EPS $2.93 vs. $2.86 consensus) with stronger margins and a reaffirmed outlook — investors view the quarter as evidence of improving service and pricing power. UPS or UNP: Which Transportation Stock Holds an Edge Post Q1 Earnings?
• Positive Sentiment: Several brokerages raised targets and kept Buy/Strong Buy views (Citi to $307, Raymond James to $310, Barclays reissued $315), and the stock features in curated buy lists — a near-term bullish analyst narrative that supports upside. Is Union Pacific (UNP) the Best Harvard University Stock Pick?
• Neutral Sentiment: Union Pacific continues to pay a steady quarterly dividend ($1.38/qtr, ~2.1% yield) and remains heavily institutionally owned (~80%); this underpins income-focused investor interest but is unlikely to move the tape sharply. Union Pacific company overview & recent filings
• Neutral Sentiment: Brand/PR event — the restored “Big Boy” steam locomotive will tour the Northeast for America's 250th; positive for reputation and customer/community relations but not material to fundamentals. Union Pacific's Big Boy to Tour the Northeast for First Time
• Negative Sentiment: Regulatory and competitive risk: rivals have formed an anti‑merger coalition as Union Pacific and Norfolk Southern prepare to refile a merger application — increased scrutiny and political opposition raise the chance of delays, conditions or blocking, pressuring the stock. Anti-merger group launches as UP, NS prepare to refile application
• Negative Sentiment: Insider selling: new filings show sizeable sales by senior executives (EVP ~27,387 shares, CFO 2,000 shares), which can sap near-term investor confidence even if sales are for diversification or tax planning. Union Pacific NYSE: UNP insider transactions

Union Pacific Stock Down 1.2%

Shares of UNP opened at $264.55 on Thursday. The stock has a market capitalization of $157.07 billion, a PE ratio of 21.79, a P/E/G ratio of 2.85 and a beta of 0.96. Union Pacific Corporation has a 1 year low of $210.53 and a 1 year high of $274.79. 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 company's 50-day simple moving average is $252.04 and its 200-day simple moving average is $239.12.

Union Pacific (NYSE:UNP - Get Free Report) last released its earnings results on Thursday, April 23rd. The railroad operator reported $2.93 EPS for the quarter, topping 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 firm had revenue of $6.22 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $6.12 billion. During the same period in the previous year, the firm posted $2.70 EPS. Union Pacific's revenue for the quarter was up 3.2% on a year-over-year basis. Analysts forecast 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 was paid on Tuesday, March 31st. Investors of record on Friday, February 27th were paid a dividend of $1.38 per share. This represents a $5.52 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 2.1%. The ex-dividend date was Friday, February 27th. Union Pacific's dividend payout ratio is presently 45.47%.

Insider Buying and Selling

In related news, CFO Jennifer L. Hamann sold 2,000 shares of the company's stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, April 24th. The shares were sold at an average price of $274.70, for a total transaction of $549,400.00. Following the sale, the chief financial officer directly owned 114,642 shares in the company, valued at approximately $31,492,157.40. This represents a 1.71% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible 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 transaction of $469,625.07. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. Over the last ninety days, insiders have sold 31,386 shares of company stock worth $8,461,716. Company insiders own 0.22% of the company's stock.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

Several brokerages have recently weighed in on UNP. BMO Capital Markets reissued a "market perform" rating and set a $285.00 price target (up from $278.00) on shares of Union Pacific in a research report on Friday, April 24th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. upped their target price on shares of Union Pacific from $267.00 to $275.00 and gave the company a "neutral" rating in a research report on Friday, April 24th. Benchmark upped their target price on shares of Union Pacific from $275.00 to $300.00 and gave the company a "buy" rating in a research report on Friday, April 24th. Barclays reaffirmed an "overweight" rating and issued a $315.00 target price (up from $285.00) on shares of Union Pacific in a research report on Friday, April 24th. Finally, Susquehanna reaffirmed a "buy" rating on shares of Union Pacific in a research report on Monday, January 19th. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, thirteen have given a Buy rating and eight have given a Hold rating to the company's stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, Union Pacific presently has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus target price of $279.55.

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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