101,738 Shares in Union Pacific Corporation $UNP Acquired by Hillman Co.

Hillman Co. acquired a new stake in Union Pacific Corporation (NYSE:UNP) in the first quarter, according to the company in its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The firm acquired 101,738 shares of the railroad operator’s stock, valued at approximately $24,684,000. Union Pacific accounts for about 9.6% of Hillman Co.’s portfolio, making the stock its 5th largest holding.

Other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also recently modified their holdings of the company. Vanguard Group Inc. grew its position in Union Pacific by 1.1% in the 4th quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 59,329,262 shares of the railroad operator’s stock valued at $13,724,045,000 after purchasing an additional 659,378 shares during the period. State Street Corp raised its holdings in Union Pacific by 4.3% during the fourth quarter. State Street Corp now owns 26,330,080 shares of the railroad operator’s stock worth $6,090,674,000 after buying an additional 1,082,285 shares during the last quarter. Capital World Investors raised its holdings in Union Pacific by 92.1% during the fourth quarter. Capital World Investors now owns 20,136,349 shares of the railroad operator’s stock worth $4,658,142,000 after buying an additional 9,655,306 shares during the last quarter. Geode Capital Management LLC lifted its stake in shares of Union Pacific by 2.0% in the fourth quarter. Geode Capital Management LLC now owns 15,360,668 shares of the railroad operator’s stock valued at $3,552,550,000 after buying an additional 296,814 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Morgan Stanley grew its holdings in shares of Union Pacific by 5.0% during the fourth quarter. Morgan Stanley now owns 12,636,050 shares of the railroad operator’s stock valued at $2,922,971,000 after buying an additional 602,647 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors own 80.38% of the company’s stock.

Union Pacific Trading Up 1.7%

NYSE:UNP opened at $272.89 on Tuesday. Union Pacific Corporation has a 52 week low of $210.84 and a 52 week high of $279.70. The firm has a 50-day moving average price of $265.48 and a two-hundred day moving average price of $251.21. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.53, a quick ratio of 0.73 and a current ratio of 0.92. The firm has a market cap of $162.02 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 22.48, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.82 and a beta of 0.97.

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 analysts’ consensus estimates of $2.86 by $0.07. The firm had revenue of $6.22 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $6.12 billion. Union Pacific had a return on equity of 39.58% and a net margin of 29.20%.The company’s revenue was up 3.2% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter in the previous year, the business earned $2.70 EPS. On average, equities analysts expect that Union Pacific Corporation will post 12.55 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Union Pacific Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, June 30th. Shareholders of record on Friday, May 29th will be paid a $1.38 dividend. This represents a $5.52 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 2.0%. The ex-dividend date is Friday, May 29th. Union Pacific’s dividend payout ratio is 45.47%.

Insider Activity

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 completion of the transaction, the chief financial officer owned 114,642 shares in the company, valued at approximately $31,492,157.40. This represents a 1.71% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this link. Also, EVP Eric J. Gehringer sold 2,991 shares of the 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 of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $11,353,447.52. The trade was a 6.50% decrease in their position. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. Insiders sold a total of 32,378 shares of company stock valued at $8,781,595 in the last ninety days. 0.22% of the stock is currently owned by insiders.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

Several equities research analysts have recently commented on the stock. Royal Bank Of Canada reissued an “outperform” rating and set a $289.00 target price (up from $273.00) on shares of Union Pacific in a research report on Friday, April 24th. Citigroup reiterated a “buy” rating and set a $307.00 price target (up from $285.00) on shares of Union Pacific in a research note on Friday, April 24th. Susquehanna reissued a “positive” rating and issued a $305.00 price objective on shares of Union Pacific in a research note on Friday, June 5th. UBS Group restated a “neutral” rating and issued a $274.00 target price (up from $253.00) on shares of Union Pacific in a report on Friday, April 24th. Finally, JPMorgan Chase & Co. lifted their target price on Union Pacific from $267.00 to $275.00 and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a research report on Friday, April 24th. One analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, twelve have assigned a Buy rating and eight have given a Hold rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the stock currently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $283.11.

Union Pacific 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.