Kenyatta Rocker Sells 27,387 Shares of Union Pacific (NYSE:UNP) Stock

Key Points

• EVP Kenyatta Rocker sold 27,387 shares of Union Pacific at an average price of $271.76 for about $7.44 million, cutting his stake by 30.95% to 61,102 shares; the transaction was disclosed in an SEC filing.
• Union Pacific topped expectations for the quarter with EPS of $2.93 versus $2.86 and revenue of $6.22 billion (up 3.2% YoY), and the company declared a quarterly dividend of $1.38 ($5.52 annually, a 2.1% yield).
• The stock traded at $266.99 (near a 12‑month high of $274.79) with a market cap of $158.5B, institutional ownership of 80.38%, and a consensus analyst rating of "Moderate Buy" with a $279.55 price target.

Union Pacific Corporation (NYSE:UNP - Get Free Report) EVP Kenyatta Rocker sold 27,387 shares of the stock in a transaction on Friday, April 24th. The shares were sold at an average price of $271.76, for a total value of $7,442,691.12. Following the completion of the sale, the executive vice president owned 61,102 shares of the company's stock, valued at $16,605,079.52. The trade was a 30.95% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this link.

Union Pacific Trading Down 0.7%

Union Pacific stock traded down $1.92 during trading hours on Tuesday, reaching $266.99. 1,363,576 shares of the company's stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 3,345,404. 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 firm's 50 day simple moving average is $251.93 and its 200 day simple moving average is $238.64. Union Pacific Corporation has a twelve month low of $210.53 and a twelve month high of $274.79. The firm has a market capitalization of $158.51 billion, a PE ratio of 22.01, a PEG ratio of 2.87 and a beta of 0.96.

Union Pacific (NYSE:UNP - Get Free Report) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, April 23rd. The railroad operator reported $2.93 earnings per share 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 firm had revenue of $6.22 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $6.12 billion. During the same period last year, the business posted $2.70 EPS. The business's revenue was up 3.2% compared to the same quarter last year. Research analysts predict that Union Pacific Corporation will post 12.45 earnings per share for the current year.

Union Pacific Announces Dividend

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Tuesday, March 31st. Shareholders of record on Friday, February 27th were issued a dividend of $1.38 per share. This represents a $5.52 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 2.1%. The ex-dividend date was Friday, February 27th. Union Pacific's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 45.47%.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Union Pacific

Several large investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in UNP. Capital World Investors lifted its position in Union Pacific by 92.1% in the 4th quarter. Capital World Investors now owns 20,136,349 shares of the railroad operator's stock valued at $4,658,142,000 after acquiring an additional 9,655,306 shares in the last quarter. Norges Bank bought a new position in Union Pacific in the 4th quarter valued at about $1,779,907,000. Capital Research Global Investors lifted its position in Union Pacific by 95.0% in the 3rd quarter. Capital Research Global Investors now owns 8,713,196 shares of the railroad operator's stock valued at $2,059,538,000 after acquiring an additional 4,244,226 shares in the last quarter. UBS AM A Distinct Business Unit of UBS Asset Management Americas LLC lifted its position in shares of Union Pacific by 72.7% during the 3rd quarter. UBS AM A Distinct Business Unit of UBS Asset Management Americas LLC now owns 9,177,002 shares of the railroad operator's stock worth $2,169,168,000 after buying an additional 3,861,636 shares in the last quarter. Finally, EdgePoint Investment Group Inc. bought a new position in shares of Union Pacific during the 3rd quarter worth approximately $408,592,000. Institutional investors own 80.38% of the company's stock.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

A number of brokerages have weighed in on UNP. Susquehanna reiterated a "buy" rating on shares of Union Pacific in a report on Monday, January 19th. Wells Fargo & Company reiterated an "overweight" rating and set a $300.00 price target (up from $260.00) on shares of Union Pacific in a report on Friday. Robert W. Baird set a $311.00 price target on Union Pacific and gave the stock an "outperform" rating in a report on Friday, March 6th. Barclays restated an "overweight" rating and issued a $315.00 target price (up from $285.00) on shares of Union Pacific in a research note on Friday. Finally, UBS Group restated a "neutral" rating and issued a $274.00 target price (up from $253.00) on shares of Union Pacific in a research note on Friday. 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 stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, Union Pacific presently has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus price target of $279.55.

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.

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