Empyrean Capital Partners LP Buys 41,800 Shares of Union Pacific Corporation $UNP

Empyrean Capital Partners LP grew its stake in Union Pacific Corporation (NYSE:UNP) by 12.6% during the 4th quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The firm owned 373,800 shares of the railroad operator’s stock after purchasing an additional 41,800 shares during the quarter. Union Pacific makes up 3.0% of Empyrean Capital Partners LP’s holdings, making the stock its 7th biggest position. Empyrean Capital Partners LP owned about 0.06% of Union Pacific worth $86,467,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission.

Other institutional investors have also modified their holdings of the company. Tucker Asset Management LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Union Pacific in the fourth quarter valued at about $25,000. SWAN Capital LLC grew its position in shares of Union Pacific by 2,575.0% in the fourth quarter. SWAN Capital LLC now owns 107 shares of the railroad operator’s stock valued at $25,000 after purchasing an additional 103 shares during the period. Rachor Investment Advisory Services LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Union Pacific in the fourth quarter valued at about $25,000. Caitlin John LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Union Pacific in the third quarter valued at about $27,000. Finally, Saranac Partners Ltd acquired a new stake in shares of Union Pacific in the third quarter valued at about $27,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 80.38% of the company’s stock.

Union Pacific Stock Performance

UNP opened at $257.61 on Thursday. The firm has a market capitalization of $152.94 billion, a PE ratio of 21.22, a PEG ratio of 2.83 and a beta of 0.97. Union Pacific Corporation has a twelve month low of $210.84 and a twelve month high of $279.70. The firm’s 50-day moving average price is $263.39 and its 200 day moving average price is $249.57. 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 (NYSE:UNP) last posted 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. The firm had revenue of $6.22 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $6.12 billion. Union Pacific had a net margin of 29.20% and a return on equity of 39.58%. Union Pacific’s quarterly revenue was up 3.2% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period in the previous year, the business posted $2.70 earnings per share. As a group, sell-side analysts expect that Union Pacific Corporation will post 12.55 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Union Pacific Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, June 30th. Investors of record on Friday, May 29th will be given a dividend of $1.38 per share. The ex-dividend date is Friday, May 29th. This represents a $5.52 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 2.1%. Union Pacific’s payout ratio is presently 45.47%.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

UNP has been the topic of several research analyst reports. Royal Bank Of Canada reiterated 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. Weiss Ratings upgraded shares of Union Pacific from a “buy (b-)” rating to a “buy (b)” rating in a research report on Tuesday, April 21st. Evercore reiterated an “outperform” rating and issued a $277.00 target price on shares of Union Pacific in a research report on Friday, April 24th. Robert W. Baird set a $311.00 target price on shares of Union Pacific and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a research report on Friday, March 6th. Finally, Susquehanna restated a “positive” rating and set a $305.00 price target on shares of Union Pacific in a research report on Friday, June 5th. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, twelve have given a Buy rating and eight have assigned a Hold rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the stock has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $282.21.

Insider Buying and Selling

In related news, EVP Kenyatta G. Rocker sold 27,387 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction dated Friday, April 24th. The shares were 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 in the company, valued at approximately $16,605,079.52. The trade was a 30.95% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through the SEC website. Also, CFO Jennifer L. Hamann sold 2,000 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction dated 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. The trade was a 1.71% decrease in their ownership of the stock. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. Over the last three months, insiders have sold 34,377 shares of company stock worth $9,251,221. 0.22% of the stock is owned by insiders.

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.