Union Pacific Corporation $UNP Shares Bought by Clearbridge Investments LLC

Clearbridge Investments LLC raised its stake in Union Pacific Corporation (NYSE:UNP) by 1.9% in the fourth quarter, HoldingsChannel.com reports. The fund owned 3,472,757 shares of the railroad operator’s stock after purchasing an additional 66,404 shares during the quarter. Clearbridge Investments LLC’s holdings in Union Pacific were worth $803,318,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Other institutional investors also recently made changes to their positions in the company. Tucker Asset Management LLC acquired a new position in shares of Union Pacific in the fourth quarter worth $25,000. Rachor Investment Advisory Services LLC acquired a new position in shares of Union Pacific in the fourth quarter worth $25,000. Caitlin John LLC acquired a new position in shares of Union Pacific in the third quarter worth $27,000. Saranac Partners Ltd acquired a new position in shares of Union Pacific in the third quarter worth $27,000. Finally, High Point Wealth Management LLC acquired a new position in shares of Union Pacific in the fourth quarter worth $26,000. 80.38% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

A number of research firms have recently weighed in on UNP. Citigroup reissued a “buy” rating and issued a $307.00 price target (up from $285.00) on shares of Union Pacific in a report on Friday, April 24th. Susquehanna reaffirmed a “positive” rating and issued a $305.00 price objective on shares of Union Pacific in a research report on Friday. Robert W. Baird set a $311.00 price objective on Union Pacific and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a research report on Friday, March 6th. Barclays reaffirmed an “overweight” rating and issued a $315.00 price objective (up from $285.00) on shares of Union Pacific in a research report on Friday, April 24th. Finally, Royal Bank Of Canada reaffirmed an “outperform” rating and issued a $289.00 price objective (up from $273.00) on shares of Union Pacific in a research report on Friday, April 24th. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, twelve have assigned a Buy rating and eight have issued a Hold rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, Union Pacific currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $282.21.

Union Pacific Price Performance

Shares of NYSE:UNP opened at $272.28 on Friday. The company has a market cap of $161.66 billion, a P/E ratio of 22.43, a P/E/G ratio of 2.89 and a beta of 0.97. The company has a quick ratio of 0.73, a current ratio of 0.92 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.53. Union Pacific Corporation has a 52 week low of $210.84 and a 52 week high of $279.70. The business has a fifty day simple moving average of $259.32 and a 200-day simple moving average of $247.03.

Union Pacific (NYSE:UNP) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, April 23rd. The railroad operator reported $2.93 EPS for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $2.86 by $0.07. The business had revenue of $6.22 billion during 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 revenue for the quarter was up 3.2% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter in the previous year, the business earned $2.70 earnings per share. Equities research analysts forecast that Union Pacific Corporation will post 12.53 EPS for the current year.

Union Pacific Dividend Announcement

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

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other Union Pacific news, EVP Kenyatta G. Rocker sold 27,387 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction dated Friday, April 24th. The stock was sold at an average price of $271.76, for a total transaction of $7,442,691.12. Following the completion of the sale, the executive vice president directly owned 61,102 shares in the company, valued at $16,605,079.52. This represents a 30.95% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available through this hyperlink. Also, CFO Jennifer L. Hamann sold 2,000 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction dated Friday, April 24th. The stock was sold at an average price of $274.70, for a total value of $549,400.00. Following the sale, the chief financial officer owned 114,642 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $31,492,157.40. This represents a 1.71% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. Insiders sold 34,377 shares of company stock worth $9,251,221 over the last three months. 0.22% of the stock is owned by insiders.

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.