Sovran Advisors LLC Acquires New Position in Union Pacific Corporation $UNP

Sovran Advisors LLC purchased a new stake in Union Pacific Corporation (NYSE:UNP) during the 1st quarter, HoldingsChannel.com reports. The institutional investor purchased 1,896 shares of the railroad operator’s stock, valued at approximately $511,000.

Other large investors also recently modified their holdings of the company. Rachor Investment Advisory Services LLC acquired a new position in shares of Union Pacific in the fourth quarter valued at approximately $25,000. Tucker Asset Management LLC bought a new position in Union Pacific during the fourth quarter worth $25,000. SWAN Capital LLC grew its stake in shares of Union Pacific by 2,575.0% in the 4th quarter. SWAN Capital LLC now owns 107 shares of the railroad operator’s stock valued at $25,000 after buying an additional 103 shares during the period. High Point Wealth Management LLC acquired a new stake in Union Pacific in the 4th quarter valued at $26,000. Finally, Saranac Partners Ltd acquired a new position in Union Pacific during the 3rd quarter valued at about $27,000. 80.38% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other Union Pacific news, CFO Jennifer L. Hamann sold 2,000 shares of the stock in a transaction on Friday, April 24th. The shares were sold at an average price of $274.70, for a total transaction of $549,400.00. Following the transaction, the chief financial officer directly owned 114,642 shares in the company, valued at $31,492,157.40. This represents a 1.71% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available through this link. Also, EVP Eric J. Gehringer sold 2,991 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, June 3rd. The stock was 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 approximately $11,353,447.52. This trade represents a 6.50% decrease in their position. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. Over the last quarter, insiders sold 32,378 shares of company stock worth $8,781,595. Insiders own 0.22% of the company’s stock.

Union Pacific Stock Performance

Shares of NYSE UNP opened at $289.26 on Tuesday. The company has a 50 day simple moving average of $269.62 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $254.46. Union Pacific Corporation has a 12 month low of $210.84 and a 12 month high of $290.41. The stock has a market cap of $171.74 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 23.83, a PEG ratio of 3.02 and a beta of 0.96. 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 quarterly earnings data on Thursday, April 23rd. The railroad operator reported $2.93 EPS for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $2.86 by $0.07. Union Pacific had a return on equity of 39.58% and a net margin of 29.20%.The firm had revenue of $6.22 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $6.12 billion. During the same quarter last year, the business posted $2.70 earnings per share. The firm’s revenue was up 3.2% compared to the same quarter last year. As a group, analysts predict that Union Pacific Corporation will post 12.56 earnings per share for the current year.

Union Pacific Announces Dividend

The business 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. The ex-dividend date was Friday, May 29th. This represents a $5.52 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 1.9%. Union Pacific’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 45.47%.

Analyst Ratings Changes

UNP has been the topic of several recent analyst reports. UBS Group reissued a “neutral” rating and set a $274.00 target price (up from $253.00) on shares of Union Pacific in a research report on Friday, April 24th. Barclays restated an “overweight” rating and issued a $315.00 target price (up from $285.00) on shares of Union Pacific in a research note on Friday, April 24th. Sanford C. Bernstein upped their price objective on shares of Union Pacific from $289.00 to $293.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a research note on Tuesday, March 31st. Susquehanna restated a “positive” rating and issued a $305.00 price objective on shares of Union Pacific in a report on Friday, June 5th. Finally, TD Cowen lifted their price objective on Union Pacific from $256.00 to $282.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research note on Friday, April 24th. Two equities research 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, Union Pacific presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $293.33.

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.