Union Pacific Corporation $UNP Shares Bought by Invesco Ltd.

Invesco Ltd. lifted its position in shares of Union Pacific Corporation (NYSE:UNP) by 5.1% in the fourth quarter, HoldingsChannel.com reports. The institutional investor owned 6,885,560 shares of the railroad operator’s stock after buying an additional 334,435 shares during the quarter. Invesco Ltd.’s holdings in Union Pacific were worth $1,592,768,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Other institutional investors have also modified their holdings of the company. Capital World Investors boosted its position in Union Pacific by 92.1% during the fourth quarter. Capital World Investors now owns 20,136,349 shares of the railroad operator’s stock worth $4,658,142,000 after acquiring an additional 9,655,306 shares during the last quarter. Norges Bank acquired a new position in Union Pacific in the 4th quarter valued at $1,779,907,000. Capital Research Global Investors raised its holdings 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 during the last quarter. UBS AM A Distinct Business Unit of UBS Asset Management Americas LLC raised its holdings in Union Pacific by 72.7% in 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 valued at $2,169,168,000 after acquiring an additional 3,861,636 shares during the last quarter. Finally, EdgePoint Investment Group Inc. purchased a new position in shares of Union Pacific during the 3rd quarter worth $408,592,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 80.38% of the company’s stock.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other news, EVP Kenyatta G. Rocker sold 27,387 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction dated 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 transaction, the executive vice president directly owned 61,102 shares in the company, valued at $16,605,079.52. This trade represents a 30.95% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available through this hyperlink. Also, CFO Jennifer L. Hamann sold 2,000 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction dated Friday, April 24th. The stock was sold at an average price of $274.70, for a total value of $549,400.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief financial officer owned 114,642 shares in the company, valued at approximately $31,492,157.40. This trade represents a 1.71% decrease in their ownership of the stock. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. Insiders sold 32,378 shares of company stock worth $8,781,595 over the last three months. 0.22% of the stock is owned by insiders.

Union Pacific Stock Down 0.2%

Shares of UNP opened at $257.46 on Friday. Union Pacific Corporation has a fifty-two week low of $210.84 and a fifty-two week high of $279.70. The company’s fifty day moving average is $263.62 and its two-hundred day moving average is $249.75. The firm has a market cap of $152.86 billion, a PE ratio of 21.21, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.74 and a beta of 0.97. The company has a quick ratio of 0.73, a current ratio of 0.92 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.53.

Union Pacific (NYSE:UNP) last released its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, April 23rd. The railroad operator reported $2.93 EPS for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $2.86 by $0.07. The business had revenue of $6.22 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $6.12 billion. Union Pacific had a return on equity of 39.58% and a net margin of 29.20%.The business’s revenue for the quarter was up 3.2% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period in the prior year, the firm posted $2.70 EPS. Analysts forecast that Union Pacific Corporation will post 12.55 earnings per share for the current year.

Union Pacific Dividend Announcement

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

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several research firms have recently issued reports on UNP. JPMorgan Chase & Co. raised their price objective on Union Pacific from $267.00 to $275.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a report on Friday, April 24th. Wells Fargo & Company reiterated an “overweight” rating and set a $300.00 target price (up from $260.00) on shares of Union Pacific in a research report on Friday, April 24th. UBS Group reiterated a “neutral” rating and set a $274.00 target price (up from $253.00) on shares of Union Pacific in a research report on Friday, April 24th. TD Cowen lifted their price target on Union Pacific from $256.00 to $282.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a report on Friday, April 24th. Finally, Evercore restated an “outperform” rating and issued a $277.00 price target on shares of Union Pacific in a report 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 company. According to MarketBeat, the stock currently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $282.21.

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.