Union Pacific Corporation $UNP Shares Purchased by KBC Group NV

KBC Group NV increased its position in Union Pacific Corporation (NYSE:UNP) by 17.7% in the second quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The fund owned 108,489 shares of the railroad operator’s stock after acquiring an additional 16,295 shares during the period. KBC Group NV’s holdings in Union Pacific were worth $29,509,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC).

A number of other institutional investors and hedge funds also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Tucker Asset Management LLC purchased a new stake in Union Pacific during the 4th quarter valued at about $25,000. SWAN Capital LLC raised its stake 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 worth $25,000 after purchasing an additional 103 shares during the last quarter. Rachor Investment Advisory Services LLC purchased a new position in shares of Union Pacific in the fourth quarter worth about $25,000. High Point Wealth Management LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Union Pacific during the fourth quarter worth about $26,000. Finally, Scarborough Advisors LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Union Pacific during the first quarter worth about $27,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 80.38% of the company’s stock.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

UNP has been the topic of a number of recent research reports. BMO Capital Markets reiterated a “market perform” rating and issued a $320.00 target price (up from $285.00) on shares of Union Pacific in a research report on Friday, July 24th. Evercore restated an “outperform” rating and set a $294.00 price objective on shares of Union Pacific in a research note on Thursday, June 25th. The Goldman Sachs Group set a $317.00 price objective on shares of Union Pacific and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a research note on Thursday, July 23rd. Benchmark upped their price objective on shares of Union Pacific from $325.00 to $335.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a report on Friday, July 24th. Finally, Bank of America increased their price objective on shares of Union Pacific from $301.00 to $334.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research note on Thursday, July 23rd. Two analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, thirteen have issued a Buy rating and six have given a Hold rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat, the company presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $320.89.

Insider Activity

In related news, EVP Eric J. Gehringer sold 2,991 shares of the stock in a transaction on Wednesday, June 3rd. The shares were sold at an average price of $263.96, for a total transaction of $789,504.36. Following the sale, the executive vice president directly owned 43,012 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $11,353,447.52. This represents a 6.50% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available at this hyperlink. 0.22% of the stock is currently owned by corporate insiders.

Union Pacific Stock Down 0.0%

Union Pacific stock opened at $293.57 on Monday. The business’s 50-day moving average price is $283.00 and its 200 day moving average price is $265.37. The company has a quick ratio of 0.82, a current ratio of 0.99 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.40. The firm has a market cap of $174.40 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 23.77, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 3.00 and a beta of 0.96. Union Pacific Corporation has a 52 week low of $210.84 and a 52 week high of $315.99.

Union Pacific (NYSE:UNP) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, July 23rd. The railroad operator reported $3.41 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $3.26 by $0.15. Union Pacific had a return on equity of 38.46% and a net margin of 28.85%.The company had revenue of $6.86 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $6.72 billion. During the same period in the previous year, the company posted $3.03 earnings per share. Union Pacific’s revenue for the quarter was up 11.5% on a year-over-year basis. As a group, sell-side analysts anticipate that Union Pacific Corporation will post 12.93 earnings per share for the current year.

Union Pacific Increases Dividend

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, September 30th. Stockholders of record on Monday, August 31st will be issued a dividend of $1.42 per share. This is a positive change from Union Pacific’s previous quarterly dividend of $1.38. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Monday, August 31st. This represents a $5.68 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 1.9%. Union Pacific’s payout ratio is presently 44.70%.

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.