Northeast Investment Management Trims Stake in Union Pacific Corporation $UNP

Northeast Investment Management lessened its position in Union Pacific Corporation (NYSE:UNP) by 4.2% in the 1st quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The fund owned 172,449 shares of the railroad operator’s stock after selling 7,623 shares during the quarter. Union Pacific accounts for 1.7% of Northeast Investment Management’s portfolio, making the stock its 17th largest position. Northeast Investment Management’s holdings in Union Pacific were worth $41,840,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

A number of other large investors have also recently made changes to their positions in the company. Cambient Family Office LLC bought a new position in shares of Union Pacific in the fourth quarter worth about $1,319,000. Jefferies Financial Group Inc. lifted its holdings in Union Pacific by 1,581.2% during the 3rd quarter. Jefferies Financial Group Inc. now owns 232,000 shares of the railroad operator’s stock valued at $54,838,000 after buying an additional 218,200 shares in the last quarter. North Dakota State Investment Board bought a new stake in Union Pacific during the 4th quarter valued at about $4,746,000. First National Bank of Omaha boosted its position in Union Pacific by 35.8% in the 4th quarter. First National Bank of Omaha now owns 54,635 shares of the railroad operator’s stock valued at $12,665,000 after buying an additional 14,399 shares during the period. Finally, Avanza Fonder AB purchased a new stake in Union Pacific in the 4th quarter valued at about $1,449,000. 80.38% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Union Pacific Price Performance

NYSE UNP opened at $267.61 on Friday. 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’s 50 day moving average price is $264.62 and its 200-day moving average price is $250.68. Union Pacific Corporation has a 52-week low of $210.84 and a 52-week high of $279.70. The company has a market cap of $158.88 billion, a PE ratio of 22.04, a P/E/G ratio of 2.76 and a beta of 0.97.

Union Pacific (NYSE:UNP) last issued 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. The company had revenue of $6.22 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $6.12 billion. Union Pacific had a net margin of 29.20% and a return on equity of 39.58%. Union Pacific’s revenue for the quarter was up 3.2% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter in the previous year, the firm posted $2.70 earnings per share. Sell-side analysts forecast that Union Pacific Corporation will post 12.55 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Union Pacific Dividend Announcement

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

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of equities analysts have recently commented on UNP shares. Royal Bank Of Canada reaffirmed 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. BMO Capital Markets reissued a “market perform” rating and issued a $285.00 price objective (up from $278.00) on shares of Union Pacific in a research note on Friday, April 24th. Weiss Ratings downgraded Union Pacific from a “buy (b)” rating to a “buy (b-)” rating in a report on Tuesday. Raymond James Financial set a $310.00 target price on Union Pacific in a research report on Friday, April 24th. Finally, UBS Group reiterated 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. One research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, twelve have assigned a Buy rating and eight have assigned a Hold rating to the company’s stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the stock currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $283.11.

Insider Buying and Selling

In other Union Pacific news, EVP Eric J. Gehringer sold 2,991 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, June 3rd. The shares were sold at an average price of $263.96, for a total value of $789,504.36. Following the completion of the transaction, the executive vice president directly owned 43,012 shares in the company, valued at approximately $11,353,447.52. The trade was a 6.50% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which can be accessed through the SEC website. Also, EVP Kenyatta G. Rocker sold 27,387 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Friday, April 24th. The shares were sold at an average price of $271.76, for a total transaction of $7,442,691.12. Following the sale, the executive vice president directly owned 61,102 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $16,605,079.52. The trade was a 30.95% decrease in their ownership of the stock. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. Insiders sold 32,378 shares of company stock worth $8,781,595 in the last three months. 0.22% of the stock is owned by insiders.

Union Pacific Company 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.