Union Pacific Corporation $UNP Shares Bought by Assenagon Asset Management S.A.

Assenagon Asset Management S.A. raised its stake in shares of Union Pacific Corporation (NYSE:UNP) by 238.9% during the 1st quarter, HoldingsChannel.com reports. The firm owned 446,227 shares of the railroad operator’s stock after acquiring an additional 314,547 shares during the quarter. Assenagon Asset Management S.A.’s holdings in Union Pacific were worth $108,264,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Several other institutional investors have also modified their holdings of the stock. Rachor Investment Advisory Services LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Union Pacific during the fourth quarter worth about $25,000. Tucker Asset Management LLC purchased a new position in Union Pacific in the 4th quarter valued at about $25,000. SWAN Capital LLC lifted its stake in 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 in the last quarter. High Point Wealth Management LLC acquired a new stake in Union Pacific in the 4th quarter worth about $26,000. Finally, Caitlin John LLC acquired a new stake in Union Pacific in the 3rd quarter worth about $27,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 80.38% of the company’s stock.

Union Pacific Stock Up 0.6%

UNP stock opened at $260.07 on Thursday. 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 firm has a 50-day moving average of $264.31 and a two-hundred day moving average of $250.45. Union Pacific Corporation has a 12 month low of $210.84 and a 12 month high of $279.70. The company has a market cap of $154.41 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 21.42, a PEG ratio of 2.74 and a beta of 0.97.

Union Pacific (NYSE:UNP) last issued its earnings results on Thursday, April 23rd. The railroad operator reported $2.93 earnings per share for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $2.86 by $0.07. The business had revenue of $6.22 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations 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% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period in the previous year, the firm posted $2.70 EPS. As a group, analysts forecast that Union Pacific Corporation will post 12.55 earnings per share 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 given a dividend of $1.38 per share. The ex-dividend date is Friday, May 29th. This represents a $5.52 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 2.1%. Union Pacific’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 45.47%.

Insider Buying and Selling

In other Union Pacific news, EVP Eric J. Gehringer sold 2,991 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction on Wednesday, June 3rd. The stock was sold at an average price of $263.96, for a total value of $789,504.36. Following the completion of the sale, the executive vice president directly owned 43,012 shares in the company, valued at $11,353,447.52. This represents a 6.50% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through the SEC website. Also, EVP Kenyatta G. Rocker sold 27,387 shares of the firm’s 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 completion of the sale, the executive vice president directly owned 61,102 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $16,605,079.52. This trade represents a 30.95% decrease in their ownership of the stock. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. Over the last 90 days, insiders have sold 32,378 shares of company stock worth $8,781,595. 0.22% of the stock is owned by corporate insiders.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

UNP has been the subject of several research reports. Citigroup reiterated a “buy” rating and set a $307.00 price objective (up from $285.00) on shares of Union Pacific in a research note on Friday, April 24th. Sanford C. Bernstein raised their target price on Union Pacific from $289.00 to $293.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a research report on Tuesday, March 31st. Raymond James Financial set a $310.00 price target on Union Pacific in a research note on Friday, April 24th. TD Cowen boosted their price target on Union Pacific from $256.00 to $282.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research report on Friday, April 24th. Finally, Barclays reissued 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. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, twelve have issued a Buy rating and eight have issued a Hold rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat, Union Pacific has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $282.21.

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.