Meiji Yasuda Asset Management Co Ltd. Cuts Stake in Union Pacific Corporation $UNP

Meiji Yasuda Asset Management Co Ltd. lowered its holdings in shares of Union Pacific Corporation (NYSE:UNP) by 37.6% in the 4th quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 19,212 shares of the railroad operator’s stock after selling 11,575 shares during the quarter. Meiji Yasuda Asset Management Co Ltd.’s holdings in Union Pacific were worth $4,444,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Other hedge funds and other institutional investors also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Tucker Asset Management LLC bought a new position in Union Pacific during the fourth quarter valued at approximately $25,000. Rachor Investment Advisory Services LLC bought a new position in Union Pacific during the fourth quarter valued at approximately $25,000. Caitlin John LLC bought a new position in Union Pacific during the third quarter valued at approximately $27,000. Saranac Partners Ltd bought a new position in Union Pacific during the third quarter valued at approximately $27,000. Finally, High Point Wealth Management LLC bought a new position in Union Pacific during the fourth quarter valued at approximately $26,000. 80.38% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

Insider Activity

In related news, EVP Eric J. Gehringer sold 1,999 shares of the firm’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 sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this link. Also, EVP Kenyatta G. Rocker sold 27,387 shares of the firm’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 value of $7,442,691.12. Following the sale, the executive vice president directly owned 61,102 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $16,605,079.52. This represents a 30.95% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. Insiders sold 31,386 shares of company stock valued at $8,461,716 in the last ninety days. Insiders own 0.22% of the company’s stock.

Union Pacific Price Performance

NYSE:UNP opened at $265.65 on Friday. The firm has a market capitalization of $157.72 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 21.88, a PEG ratio of 2.82 and a beta of 0.99. Union Pacific Corporation has a 1 year low of $210.84 and a 1 year high of $276.40. The business has a 50 day simple moving average of $253.79 and a 200-day simple moving average of $243.82. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.53, a current ratio of 0.92 and a quick ratio of 0.73.

Union Pacific (NYSE:UNP) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, April 23rd. The railroad operator reported $2.93 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $2.86 by $0.07. The business had revenue of $6.22 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $6.12 billion. Union Pacific had a return on equity of 39.58% and a net margin of 29.20%.The company’s revenue for the quarter was up 3.2% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period last year, the company earned $2.70 EPS. Equities analysts forecast that Union Pacific Corporation will post 12.53 EPS for the current year.

Union Pacific Dividend Announcement

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, June 30th. Stockholders of record on Friday, May 29th will be paid a $1.38 dividend. This represents a $5.52 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 2.1%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, May 29th. Union Pacific’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 45.47%.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

UNP has been the subject of a number of research reports. Evercore reissued an “outperform” rating and set a $277.00 price target on shares of Union Pacific in a research note on Friday, April 24th. Benchmark increased their price target on Union Pacific from $275.00 to $300.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research note on Friday, April 24th. Wells Fargo & Company reissued an “overweight” rating and set a $300.00 price target (up from $260.00) on shares of Union Pacific in a research note on Friday, April 24th. 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 note on Friday, April 24th. Finally, Raymond James Financial set a $310.00 price target on Union Pacific in a research note on Friday, April 24th. 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 stock. According to MarketBeat.com, Union Pacific presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $280.47.

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.