Public Employees Retirement Association of Colorado Sells 10,050 Shares of Union Pacific Corporation $UNP

Public Employees Retirement Association of Colorado reduced its position in shares of Union Pacific Corporation (NYSE:UNP) by 2.2% in the fourth quarter, HoldingsChannel reports. The institutional investor owned 440,616 shares of the railroad operator’s stock after selling 10,050 shares during the quarter. Public Employees Retirement Association of Colorado’s holdings in Union Pacific were worth $101,923,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Other hedge funds have also added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Magellan Asset Management Ltd purchased a new position in Union Pacific during the 3rd quarter valued at $69,343,000. Jefferies Financial Group Inc. increased its position in Union Pacific by 1,581.2% during the 3rd quarter. Jefferies Financial Group Inc. now owns 232,000 shares of the railroad operator’s stock valued at $54,838,000 after purchasing an additional 218,200 shares during the period. North Dakota State Investment Board purchased a new position in Union Pacific during the 4th quarter valued at $4,746,000. State of New Jersey Common Pension Fund D increased its position in Union Pacific by 2.7% during the 3rd quarter. State of New Jersey Common Pension Fund D now owns 208,469 shares of the railroad operator’s stock valued at $49,276,000 after purchasing an additional 5,572 shares during the period. Finally, Avanza Fonder AB purchased a new position in Union Pacific during the 4th quarter valued at $1,449,000. 80.38% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Insider Activity at Union Pacific

In related news, CFO Jennifer L. Hamann sold 2,000 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Friday, April 24th. The shares were sold at an average price of $274.70, for a total transaction of $549,400.00. Following the sale, the chief financial officer directly owned 114,642 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $31,492,157.40. This represents a 1.71% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. Also, EVP Eric J. Gehringer sold 2,991 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, June 3rd. The shares were sold at an average price of $263.96, for a total transaction of $789,504.36. Following the transaction, the executive vice president owned 43,012 shares in the company, valued at $11,353,447.52. This represents a 6.50% decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. In the last ninety days, insiders have sold 34,377 shares of company stock valued at $9,251,221. 0.22% of the stock is owned by insiders.

Union Pacific Stock Down 0.1%

NYSE:UNP opened at $272.37 on Monday. The firm’s 50-day moving average price is $262.23 and its 200-day moving average price is $248.86. The company has a market capitalization of $161.71 billion, a PE ratio of 22.44, a P/E/G ratio of 2.89 and a beta of 0.97. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.53, a current ratio of 0.92 and a quick ratio of 0.73. Union Pacific Corporation has a 1-year low of $210.84 and a 1-year high of $279.70.

Union Pacific (NYSE:UNP) last released its earnings results on Thursday, April 23rd. The railroad operator reported $2.93 earnings per share for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates 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 company’s revenue was up 3.2% compared to the same quarter last year. On average, equities analysts predict that Union Pacific Corporation will post 12.55 EPS for the current fiscal 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 given a dividend of $1.38 per share. This represents a $5.52 annualized dividend and a yield of 2.0%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, May 29th. Union Pacific’s dividend payout ratio is 45.47%.

Analyst Ratings Changes

A number of research analysts have issued reports on the stock. Robert W. Baird set a $311.00 price objective on shares of Union Pacific and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a research report on Friday, March 6th. Sanford C. Bernstein upped their target price on shares of Union Pacific from $289.00 to $293.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a research report on Tuesday, March 31st. Wells Fargo & Company reaffirmed an “overweight” rating and issued a $300.00 target price (up from $260.00) on shares of Union Pacific in a research report on Friday, April 24th. Evercore reaffirmed an “outperform” rating and issued a $277.00 target price on shares of Union Pacific in a research report on Friday, April 24th. Finally, Susquehanna reaffirmed a “positive” rating and issued a $305.00 target price on shares of Union Pacific in a research report on Friday, June 5th. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, twelve have issued a Buy rating and eight have assigned a Hold rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $282.21.

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.