Kentucky Farm Bureau Mutual Insurance Co Buys New Position in Union Pacific Corporation $UNP

Kentucky Farm Bureau Mutual Insurance Co purchased a new stake in Union Pacific Corporation (NYSE:UNP) in the second quarter, HoldingsChannel.com reports. The firm purchased 18,000 shares of the railroad operator’s stock, valued at approximately $4,896,000. Union Pacific makes up about 1.4% of Kentucky Farm Bureau Mutual Insurance Co’s portfolio, making the stock its 17th biggest holding.

Several other institutional investors have also added to or reduced their stakes in UNP. Capital World Investors grew its position in Union Pacific by 92.1% during the 4th quarter. Capital World Investors now owns 20,136,349 shares of the railroad operator’s stock worth $4,658,142,000 after purchasing an additional 9,655,306 shares during the last quarter. Norges Bank acquired a new position in Union Pacific during the 4th quarter valued at approximately $1,779,907,000. UBS AM A Distinct Business Unit of UBS Asset Management Americas LLC raised its holdings in shares of Union Pacific by 72.7% in 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 worth $2,169,168,000 after buying an additional 3,861,636 shares during the last quarter. Capital Research Global Investors raised its holdings in shares of Union Pacific by 26.0% in the fourth quarter. Capital Research Global Investors now owns 10,980,904 shares of the railroad operator’s stock worth $2,540,105,000 after buying an additional 2,267,708 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Bank of America Corp DE lifted 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 worth $3,509,030,000 after buying an additional 2,084,808 shares during the period. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 80.38% of the company’s stock.

Insider Buying and Selling at Union Pacific

In other news, EVP Eric J. Gehringer sold 2,991 shares of Union Pacific 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 transaction, the executive vice president directly owned 43,012 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $11,353,447.52. The trade was a 6.50% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through the SEC website. 0.22% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders.

Union Pacific Stock Up 0.8%

Shares of UNP opened at $304.34 on Friday. Union Pacific Corporation has a 52 week low of $210.84 and a 52 week high of $315.99. The company has a quick ratio of 0.82, a current ratio of 0.99 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.40. The company has a market capitalization of $180.80 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 24.64, a PEG ratio of 3.08 and a beta of 0.96. The stock’s 50-day moving average price is $285.59 and its 200-day moving average price is $267.31.

Union Pacific (NYSE:UNP) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, July 23rd. The railroad operator reported $3.41 earnings per share for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $3.26 by $0.15. Union Pacific had a return on equity of 38.46% and a net margin of 28.85%.The company had revenue of $6.86 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $6.72 billion. During the same period last year, the business earned $3.03 earnings per share. Union Pacific’s quarterly revenue was up 11.5% on a year-over-year basis. On average, sell-side analysts predict that Union Pacific Corporation will post 12.93 EPS for the current year.

Union Pacific Increases Dividend

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, September 30th. Stockholders of record on Monday, August 31st will be paid a dividend of $1.42 per share. This represents a $5.68 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 1.9%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Monday, August 31st. This is a positive change from Union Pacific’s previous quarterly dividend of $1.38. Union Pacific’s dividend payout ratio is 44.70%.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

A number of equities research analysts have recently weighed in on the stock. Raymond James Financial reissued a “strong-buy” rating on shares of Union Pacific in a report on Monday, July 13th. Barclays restated an “overweight” rating and issued a $350.00 target price (up from $315.00) on shares of Union Pacific in a research note on Friday, July 24th. Wells Fargo & Company reiterated an “overweight” rating and set a $335.00 price target (up from $315.00) on shares of Union Pacific in a research note on Friday, July 24th. Royal Bank Of Canada reissued an “outperform” rating and issued a $339.00 price objective (up from $289.00) on shares of Union Pacific in a report on Friday, July 24th. Finally, Evercore restated an “outperform” rating and issued a $294.00 price objective on shares of Union Pacific in a research note on Thursday, June 25th. Two research analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, thirteen have assigned a Buy rating and six have assigned a Hold rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the stock has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $320.89.

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.