20,515 Shares in Union Pacific Corporation $UNP Purchased by North Dakota State Investment Board

North Dakota State Investment Board acquired a new position in Union Pacific Corporation (NYSE:UNP) in the 4th quarter, Holdings Channel.com reports. The institutional investor acquired 20,515 shares of the railroad operator’s stock, valued at approximately $4,746,000.

Other large investors also recently bought and sold shares of the company. Rachor Investment Advisory Services LLC bought a new stake in Union Pacific in the 4th quarter worth about $25,000. Caitlin John LLC bought a new stake in Union Pacific in the 3rd quarter worth about $27,000. Saranac Partners Ltd bought a new stake in Union Pacific in the 3rd quarter worth about $27,000. High Point Wealth Management LLC bought a new stake in Union Pacific in the 4th quarter worth about $26,000. Finally, Stephens Consulting LLC increased its holdings in Union Pacific by 48.4% in the 4th quarter. Stephens Consulting LLC now owns 135 shares of the railroad operator’s stock worth $31,000 after buying an additional 44 shares in the last quarter. 80.38% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

Union Pacific Stock Up 0.0%

UNP stock opened at $270.58 on Monday. Union Pacific Corporation has a twelve month low of $210.84 and a twelve month high of $274.79. 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 stock has a market cap of $160.65 billion, a P/E ratio of 22.29, a PEG ratio of 2.87 and a beta of 0.99. The business’s 50-day moving average price is $252.29 and its 200-day moving average price is $242.23.

Union Pacific (NYSE:UNP) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, April 23rd. The railroad operator reported $2.93 earnings per share for the quarter, beating 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 for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $6.12 billion. During the same period in the previous year, the firm earned $2.70 EPS. The business’s quarterly revenue was up 3.2% on a year-over-year basis. On average, equities research 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 given a dividend of $1.38 per share. This represents a $5.52 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 2.0%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, May 29th. Union Pacific’s payout ratio is presently 45.47%.

Insider Activity

In other news, EVP Kenyatta G. Rocker sold 27,387 shares of Union Pacific stock in a transaction dated 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 transaction, the executive vice president directly owned 61,102 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $16,605,079.52. The trade was a 30.95% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at this hyperlink. Also, CFO Jennifer L. Hamann sold 2,000 shares of Union Pacific stock in a transaction dated Friday, April 24th. The shares were sold at an average price of $274.70, for a total value of $549,400.00. Following the transaction, the chief financial officer directly owned 114,642 shares in the company, valued at approximately $31,492,157.40. The trade was a 1.71% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. Insiders have sold a total of 31,386 shares of company stock valued at $8,461,716 in the last ninety days. Corporate insiders own 0.22% of the company’s stock.

Analyst Ratings Changes

Several research analysts have issued reports on UNP shares. Benchmark raised their target price on Union Pacific from $275.00 to $300.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research report on Friday, April 24th. The Goldman Sachs Group reissued a “neutral” rating and issued a $267.00 target price on shares of Union Pacific in a research report on Tuesday, January 27th. Weiss Ratings raised Union Pacific from a “buy (b-)” rating to a “buy (b)” rating in a research report on Tuesday, April 21st. Raymond James Financial set a $310.00 target price on Union Pacific in a research report on Friday, April 24th. Finally, Royal Bank Of Canada reissued an “outperform” rating and issued a $289.00 target price (up from $273.00) on shares of Union Pacific in a research report on Friday, April 24th. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, twelve have issued a Buy rating and eight have assigned a Hold rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat, the stock currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $280.47.

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.