BNP Paribas Has $10.76 Million Stock Holdings in Union Pacific Corporation $UNP

BNP Paribas trimmed its stake in shares of Union Pacific Corporation (NYSE:UNP) by 4.4% in the fourth quarter, Holdings Channel.com reports. The firm owned 46,503 shares of the railroad operator’s stock after selling 2,144 shares during the quarter. BNP Paribas’ holdings in Union Pacific were worth $10,756,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Other institutional investors have also added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Stephens Consulting LLC increased its position in shares of Union Pacific by 48.4% during the fourth quarter. Stephens Consulting LLC now owns 135 shares of the railroad operator’s stock worth $31,000 after buying an additional 44 shares during the period. Macroview Investment Management LLC boosted its stake in Union Pacific by 3.4% during the fourth quarter. Macroview Investment Management LLC now owns 1,349 shares of the railroad operator’s stock worth $312,000 after acquiring an additional 44 shares in the last quarter. Prestige Wealth Management Group LLC lifted its stake in shares of Union Pacific by 1.4% in the third quarter. Prestige Wealth Management Group LLC now owns 3,186 shares of the railroad operator’s stock valued at $753,000 after buying an additional 45 shares in the last quarter. U.S. Capital Wealth Advisors LLC lifted its stake in shares of Union Pacific by 0.9% in the fourth quarter. U.S. Capital Wealth Advisors LLC now owns 4,988 shares of the railroad operator’s stock valued at $1,154,000 after buying an additional 45 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Keebeck Wealth Management lifted its stake in shares of Union Pacific by 1.7% in the third quarter. Keebeck Wealth Management now owns 2,691 shares of the railroad operator’s stock valued at $636,000 after buying an additional 45 shares in the last quarter. 80.38% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Union Pacific Price Performance

UNP opened at $263.31 on Tuesday. The company has a market capitalization of $156.33 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 21.69, a PEG ratio of 2.79 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. The firm has a 50-day moving average price of $257.15 and a 200-day moving average price of $245.98. Union Pacific Corporation has a twelve month low of $210.84 and a twelve month high of $279.70.

Union Pacific (NYSE:UNP) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, April 23rd. The railroad operator reported $2.93 EPS for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $2.86 by $0.07. The company had revenue of $6.22 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $6.12 billion. Union Pacific had a net margin of 29.20% and a return on equity of 39.58%. Union Pacific’s revenue for the quarter was up 3.2% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter in the previous year, the company earned $2.70 earnings per share. Equities analysts expect that Union Pacific Corporation will post 12.53 EPS for the current year.

Union Pacific Dividend Announcement

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

Analyst Ratings Changes

UNP has been the topic of a number of recent research reports. Weiss Ratings raised shares of Union Pacific from a “buy (b-)” rating to a “buy (b)” rating in a research note on Tuesday, April 21st. Benchmark raised their price objective on shares of Union Pacific from $275.00 to $300.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research note on Friday, April 24th. BMO Capital Markets reissued a “market perform” rating and set a $285.00 price target (up from $278.00) on shares of Union Pacific in a research report on Friday, April 24th. Raymond James Financial set a $310.00 price target on shares of Union Pacific in a research report on Friday, April 24th. Finally, Royal Bank Of Canada reissued an “outperform” rating and set a $289.00 price target (up from $273.00) on shares of Union Pacific in a research report on Friday, April 24th. One research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, twelve have given a Buy rating and eight 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 $280.47.

Insider Activity at Union Pacific

In other news, EVP Eric J. Gehringer sold 1,999 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction on Friday, March 20th. The shares were sold at an average price of $234.93, for a total transaction of $469,625.07. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available at the SEC website. Also, EVP Kenyatta G. Rocker sold 27,387 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction on 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 sale, the executive vice president owned 61,102 shares in the company, valued at approximately $16,605,079.52. This trade represents a 30.95% decrease in their position. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. Over the last 90 days, insiders sold 31,386 shares of company stock valued at $8,461,716. Corporate insiders own 0.22% of the company’s stock.

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.