Union Pacific Corporation $UNP Holdings Lifted by ProShare Advisors LLC

ProShare Advisors LLC boosted its holdings in shares of Union Pacific Corporation (NYSE:UNP) by 7.6% during the 4th quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The firm owned 117,972 shares of the railroad operator’s stock after buying an additional 8,348 shares during the period. ProShare Advisors LLC’s holdings in Union Pacific were worth $27,289,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

Other hedge funds have also recently bought and sold shares of the company. HighTower Advisors LLC boosted its holdings in shares of Union Pacific by 17.5% during the fourth quarter. HighTower Advisors LLC now owns 620,285 shares of the railroad operator’s stock worth $143,484,000 after purchasing an additional 92,459 shares during the period. Envestnet Portfolio Solutions Inc. increased its stake in Union Pacific by 2.3% in the 4th quarter. Envestnet Portfolio Solutions Inc. now owns 100,491 shares of the railroad operator’s stock valued at $23,245,000 after buying an additional 2,295 shares during the period. Gambit Capital Management LLC purchased a new stake in Union Pacific in the 4th quarter worth approximately $238,000. Pathway Financial Advisers LLC lifted its position in Union Pacific by 4.6% in the 4th quarter. Pathway Financial Advisers LLC now owns 10,479 shares of the railroad operator’s stock worth $2,424,000 after buying an additional 458 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Blume Capital Management Inc. boosted its stake in shares of Union Pacific by 202.5% during the 4th quarter. Blume Capital Management Inc. now owns 4,537 shares of the railroad operator’s stock valued at $1,049,000 after buying an additional 3,037 shares during the period. 80.38% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several equities analysts have recently commented on the stock. Robert W. Baird set a $311.00 price target on shares of Union Pacific and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a report on Friday, March 6th. Barclays reissued an “overweight” rating and set a $315.00 price objective (up from $285.00) on shares of Union Pacific in a research report on Friday, April 24th. BMO Capital Markets restated a “market perform” rating and issued a $285.00 target price (up from $278.00) on shares of Union Pacific in a research note on Friday, April 24th. Evercore reaffirmed an “outperform” rating and issued a $277.00 target price on shares of Union Pacific in a research report on Friday, April 24th. Finally, Royal Bank Of Canada reaffirmed an “outperform” rating and set a $289.00 price target (up from $273.00) on shares of Union Pacific in a research note on Friday, April 24th. One research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, twelve have issued a Buy rating and eight have issued a Hold rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $280.47.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other Union Pacific news, CFO Jennifer L. Hamann sold 2,000 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, April 24th. The stock was sold at an average price of $274.70, for a total transaction of $549,400.00. Following the transaction, the chief financial officer owned 114,642 shares in the company, valued at $31,492,157.40. This trade represents a 1.71% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available at the SEC website. Also, EVP Eric J. Gehringer sold 1,999 shares of Union Pacific stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, March 20th. The shares were sold at an average price of $234.93, for a total transaction of $469,625.07. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. Insiders sold 31,386 shares of company stock valued at $8,461,716 over the last 90 days. 0.22% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders.

Union Pacific Stock Down 2.0%

Union Pacific stock opened at $266.01 on Thursday. The company has a current ratio of 0.92, a quick ratio of 0.73 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.53. Union Pacific Corporation has a 1-year low of $210.84 and a 1-year high of $276.40. The firm’s fifty day simple moving average is $253.19 and its 200-day simple moving average is $243.35. The company has a market capitalization of $157.94 billion, a P/E ratio of 21.91, a P/E/G ratio of 2.88 and a beta of 0.99.

Union Pacific (NYSE:UNP) last posted 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 net margin of 29.20% and a return on equity of 39.58%. The firm had revenue of $6.22 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $6.12 billion. During the same period in the prior year, the business posted $2.70 earnings per share. The business’s quarterly revenue was up 3.2% on a year-over-year basis. Sell-side analysts forecast that Union Pacific Corporation will post 12.53 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 given a dividend of $1.38 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, May 29th. This represents a $5.52 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 2.1%. Union Pacific’s dividend payout ratio is presently 45.47%.

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.