Westpac Banking Corp Cuts Position in Union Pacific Corporation $UNP

Westpac Banking Corp lessened its holdings in Union Pacific Corporation (NYSE:UNP) by 6.3% during the fourth quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The fund owned 37,415 shares of the railroad operator’s stock after selling 2,497 shares during the period. Westpac Banking Corp’s holdings in Union Pacific were worth $8,655,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also recently modified their holdings of the company. Rachor Investment Advisory Services LLC purchased a new position in shares of Union Pacific in the 4th quarter worth approximately $25,000. Tucker Asset Management LLC purchased a new position in shares of Union Pacific in the 4th quarter worth approximately $25,000. High Point Wealth Management LLC purchased a new position in shares of Union Pacific in the 4th quarter worth approximately $26,000. Caitlin John LLC purchased a new position in shares of Union Pacific in the 3rd quarter worth approximately $27,000. Finally, Saranac Partners Ltd purchased a new position in shares of Union Pacific in the 3rd quarter worth approximately $27,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 80.38% of the company’s stock.

Analyst Ratings Changes

Several equities analysts recently commented on the company. Royal Bank Of Canada reiterated an “outperform” rating and issued a $289.00 price objective (up from $273.00) on shares of Union Pacific in a research note on Friday, April 24th. Raymond James Financial set a $310.00 price objective on Union Pacific in a research note on Friday, April 24th. Barclays reiterated an “overweight” rating and issued a $315.00 price objective (up from $285.00) on shares of Union Pacific in a research note on Friday, April 24th. Citigroup reiterated a “buy” rating and issued a $307.00 price objective (up from $285.00) on shares of Union Pacific in a research note on Friday, April 24th. Finally, Robert W. Baird set a $311.00 price objective on Union Pacific and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a research note on Friday, March 6th. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, twelve have given a Buy rating and eight have issued a Hold rating to the company’s stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the company presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $280.47.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other Union Pacific news, EVP Eric J. Gehringer sold 1,999 shares of the stock in a transaction on Friday, March 20th. The stock was sold at an average price of $234.93, for a total transaction of $469,625.07. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is accessible through this link. Also, EVP Kenyatta G. Rocker sold 27,387 shares of the stock in a transaction on Friday, April 24th. The stock was sold at an average price of $271.76, for a total value of $7,442,691.12. Following the sale, the executive vice president owned 61,102 shares in the company, valued at approximately $16,605,079.52. This represents a 30.95% decrease in their position. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. Insiders have sold a total of 31,386 shares of company stock worth $8,461,716 over the last 90 days. Corporate insiders own 0.22% of the company’s stock.

Union Pacific Price Performance

Union Pacific stock opened at $264.91 on Wednesday. Union Pacific Corporation has a 12 month low of $210.84 and a 12 month high of $279.70. The company has a current ratio of 0.92, a quick ratio of 0.73 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.53. The business’s 50 day simple moving average is $257.15 and its 200 day simple moving average is $245.98. The company has a market cap of $157.28 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 21.82, a PEG ratio of 2.80 and a beta of 0.97.

Union Pacific (NYSE:UNP) last posted its earnings results 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. 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 business’s quarterly revenue was up 3.2% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter in the prior year, the business posted $2.70 earnings per share. Sell-side analysts forecast that Union Pacific Corporation will post 12.53 EPS for the current year.

Union Pacific Dividend Announcement

The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, June 30th. Shareholders of record on Friday, May 29th will be given a dividend of $1.38 per share. The ex-dividend date is Friday, May 29th. This represents a $5.52 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 2.1%. Union Pacific’s dividend payout ratio is currently 45.47%.

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.