Eric Gehringer Sells 2,991 Shares of Union Pacific (NYSE:UNP) Stock

Union Pacific Corporation (NYSE:UNP) EVP Eric Gehringer sold 2,991 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction that occurred 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 completion of the sale, the executive vice president directly owned 43,012 shares in the company, valued at $11,353,447.52. This trade represents a 6.50% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is accessible through this hyperlink.

Union Pacific Stock Up 0.1%

UNP traded up $0.32 during trading hours on Thursday, hitting $262.45. 512,268 shares of the company’s stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 3,253,099. Union Pacific Corporation has a 12-month low of $210.84 and a 12-month high of $279.70. The firm has a 50 day moving average of $258.23 and a 200 day moving average of $246.56. The firm has a market cap of $155.82 billion, a P/E ratio of 21.60, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.81 and a beta of 0.97. 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 announced its earnings results on Thursday, April 23rd. The railroad operator reported $2.93 earnings per share for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $2.86 by $0.07. Union Pacific had a net margin of 29.20% and a return on equity of 39.58%. The firm had revenue of $6.22 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $6.12 billion. During the same period in the prior year, the firm earned $2.70 EPS. The firm’s revenue for the quarter was up 3.2% on a year-over-year basis. Analysts predict that Union Pacific Corporation will post 12.53 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Union Pacific Announces Dividend

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 issued a dividend of $1.38 per share. This represents a $5.52 annualized dividend and a yield of 2.1%. The ex-dividend date is Friday, May 29th. Union Pacific’s payout ratio is 45.47%.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Several large investors have recently modified their holdings of the stock. Capital World Investors raised its holdings in Union Pacific by 92.1% in the fourth quarter. Capital World Investors now owns 20,136,349 shares of the railroad operator’s stock valued at $4,658,142,000 after buying an additional 9,655,306 shares during the period. Norges Bank purchased a new position in Union Pacific in the fourth quarter valued at approximately $1,779,907,000. Capital Research Global Investors raised its stake in shares of Union Pacific by 95.0% during the third quarter. Capital Research Global Investors now owns 8,713,196 shares of the railroad operator’s stock valued at $2,059,538,000 after purchasing an additional 4,244,226 shares during the period. UBS AM A Distinct Business Unit of UBS Asset Management Americas LLC raised its stake in shares of Union Pacific by 72.7% during the third 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 purchasing an additional 3,861,636 shares during the period. Finally, Bank of America Corp DE raised its stake in shares of Union Pacific by 16.8% during the first quarter. Bank of America Corp DE now owns 14,463,071 shares of the railroad operator’s stock valued at $3,509,030,000 after purchasing an additional 2,084,808 shares during the period. 80.38% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Analyst Ratings Changes

Several research analysts have recently issued reports on the stock. Citigroup restated a “buy” rating and issued a $307.00 target price (up from $285.00) on shares of Union Pacific in a report on Friday, April 24th. Evercore restated an “outperform” rating and issued a $277.00 target price on shares of Union Pacific in a report on Friday, April 24th. Weiss Ratings upgraded shares of Union Pacific from a “buy (b-)” rating to a “buy (b)” rating in a report on Tuesday, April 21st. Wells Fargo & Company reiterated an “overweight” rating and set a $300.00 price target (up from $260.00) on shares of Union Pacific in a research note on Friday, April 24th. Finally, BMO Capital Markets reiterated a “market perform” rating and set a $285.00 price target (up from $278.00) on shares of Union Pacific in a research note on Friday, April 24th. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, twelve have issued a Buy rating and eight have issued a Hold rating to the company. According to MarketBeat, the company presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $280.47.

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.