Fifth Third Bancorp Grows Position in Union Pacific Corporation $UNP

Fifth Third Bancorp raised its stake in shares of Union Pacific Corporation (NYSE:UNP) by 40.4% during the first quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 793,795 shares of the railroad operator’s stock after purchasing an additional 228,567 shares during the quarter. Fifth Third Bancorp’s holdings in Union Pacific were worth $192,591,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also made changes to their positions in the company. Sovran Advisors LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Union Pacific during the first quarter worth $511,000. Rossmore Private Capital increased its position in shares of Union Pacific by 1.1% in the 1st quarter. Rossmore Private Capital now owns 11,079 shares of the railroad operator’s stock valued at $2,688,000 after acquiring an additional 119 shares during the period. Markel Group Inc. increased its position in shares of Union Pacific by 6.4% in the 1st quarter. Markel Group Inc. now owns 150,278 shares of the railroad operator’s stock valued at $36,460,000 after acquiring an additional 9,000 shares during the period. S. R. Schill & Associates purchased a new position in Union Pacific in the 1st quarter worth $215,000. Finally, Sachetta LLC lifted its position in Union Pacific by 12.7% during the 1st quarter. Sachetta LLC now owns 523 shares of the railroad operator’s stock worth $127,000 after acquiring an additional 59 shares during the period. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 80.38% of the company’s stock.

Insider Activity at Union Pacific

In other news, EVP Kenyatta G. Rocker sold 27,387 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Friday, April 24th. The shares were sold at an average price of $271.76, for a total value of $7,442,691.12. Following the completion of the sale, the executive vice president directly owned 61,102 shares in the company, valued at $16,605,079.52. This represents a 30.95% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at this link. 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. In the last ninety days, insiders sold 32,378 shares of company stock valued at $8,781,595. 0.22% of the stock is owned by insiders.

Analyst Ratings Changes

Several research analysts have recently issued reports on UNP shares. Sanford C. Bernstein raised their price objective on Union Pacific from $289.00 to $293.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a research note on Tuesday, March 31st. Susquehanna reaffirmed a “positive” rating and issued a $305.00 price target on shares of Union Pacific in a report on Friday, June 5th. Raymond James Financial set a $310.00 price objective on shares of Union Pacific in a research note on Friday, April 24th. BMO Capital Markets reaffirmed a “market perform” rating and set a $285.00 target price (up from $278.00) on shares of Union Pacific in a 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 report on Friday, April 24th. Two analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, twelve have issued a Buy rating and seven have given a Hold rating to the company’s stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the stock presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $290.39.

Union Pacific Price Performance

Shares of NYSE UNP traded up $2.23 during trading on Friday, hitting $287.27. The company had a trading volume of 1,876,184 shares, compared to its average volume of 2,394,006. The firm has a market capitalization of $170.55 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 23.66, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 3.02 and a beta of 0.96. The stock has a fifty day simple moving average of $269.23 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $253.94. 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 Corporation has a fifty-two week low of $210.84 and a fifty-two week high of $288.90.

Union Pacific (NYSE:UNP) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, April 23rd. The railroad operator reported $2.93 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $2.86 by $0.07. Union Pacific had a return on equity of 39.58% and a net margin of 29.20%.The company 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 posted $2.70 EPS. Union Pacific’s revenue was up 3.2% compared to the same quarter last year. On average, research analysts expect that Union Pacific Corporation will post 12.56 earnings per share for the current year.

Union Pacific Dividend Announcement

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Tuesday, June 30th. Investors of record on Friday, May 29th were paid a $1.38 dividend. This represents a $5.52 annualized dividend and a yield of 1.9%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Friday, May 29th. Union Pacific’s dividend payout ratio is currently 45.47%.

Union Pacific News Summary

Here are the key news stories impacting Union Pacific this week:

• Positive Sentiment: JPMorgan raised its price target on Union Pacific to $304 from $275, implying additional upside from current levels, while keeping a neutral rating. Article: Union Pacific price target raised by JPMorgan Chase & Co.
• Positive Sentiment: Stephens upgraded Union Pacific to strong-buy, signaling confidence in the railroad’s earnings outlook and valuation momentum. Article: Union Pacific was upgraded by Stephens
• Positive Sentiment: Coverage around Union Pacific and Norfolk Southern’s proposed merger continues to advance, with both companies filing responses as the regulatory review moves forward. Investors may see the deal as a potential long-term strategic catalyst if approved. Article: Norfolk Southern (NSC) Files Merger Response With Union Pacific As STB Review Advances
• Neutral Sentiment: Commentary on the proposed rail merger from Union Pacific and Norfolk Southern CEOs highlights the scale of the strategic opportunity, but also underscores that the deal remains subject to significant regulatory scrutiny. Article: EXCLUSIVE: Union Pacific, Norfolk Southern CEOs talk about the rail merger
• Neutral Sentiment: Seeking Alpha published a downgrade saying buying Union Pacific now may be “too late,” which adds a cautionary note but does not appear to outweigh the bullish analyst actions. Article: Union Pacific: Buying Now Feels Too Late (Rating Downgrade)

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.