Union Pacific Corporation $UNP Shares Purchased by Banque Cantonale Vaudoise

Banque Cantonale Vaudoise boosted its stake in shares of Union Pacific Corporation (NYSE:UNP) by 15.8% during the first quarter, HoldingsChannel.com reports. The firm owned 39,817 shares of the railroad operator’s stock after acquiring an additional 5,420 shares during the period. Banque Cantonale Vaudoise’s holdings in Union Pacific were worth $9,661,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

A number of other hedge funds also recently made changes to their positions in the stock. Cambient Family Office LLC purchased a new stake in Union Pacific during the fourth quarter valued at about $1,319,000. Magellan Asset Management Ltd purchased a new position in shares of Union Pacific in the 3rd quarter worth about $69,343,000. Jefferies Financial Group Inc. raised its holdings in shares of Union Pacific by 1,581.2% in the 3rd quarter. Jefferies Financial Group Inc. now owns 232,000 shares of the railroad operator’s stock worth $54,838,000 after purchasing an additional 218,200 shares during the period. North Dakota State Investment Board acquired a new position in shares of Union Pacific in the 4th quarter valued at about $4,746,000. Finally, First National Bank of Omaha lifted its stake in shares of 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 purchasing an additional 14,399 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 80.38% of the company’s stock.

Union Pacific Stock Performance

Shares of NYSE:UNP opened at $260.07 on Thursday. The business’s 50-day simple moving average is $264.31 and its 200 day simple moving average is $250.45. The company has a market cap of $154.41 billion, a P/E ratio of 21.42, a PEG ratio of 2.74 and a beta of 0.97. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.53, a quick ratio of 0.73 and a current ratio of 0.92. Union Pacific Corporation has a one year low of $210.84 and a one year high of $279.70.

Union Pacific (NYSE:UNP) last released its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, April 23rd. The railroad operator reported $2.93 earnings per share for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $2.86 by $0.07. Union Pacific had a return on equity of 39.58% and a net margin of 29.20%.The firm had revenue of $6.22 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $6.12 billion. During the same quarter in the prior year, the business earned $2.70 EPS. Union Pacific’s quarterly revenue was up 3.2% compared to the same quarter last year. On average, sell-side analysts forecast that Union Pacific Corporation will post 12.55 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Union Pacific Announces Dividend

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, June 30th. Stockholders of record on Friday, May 29th will be given 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 of this dividend is Friday, May 29th. Union Pacific’s payout ratio is presently 45.47%.

Analyst Ratings Changes

A number of analysts recently issued reports on the stock. TD Cowen increased their target price on shares of Union Pacific from $256.00 to $282.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research report on Friday, April 24th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. lifted their price target on shares of Union Pacific from $267.00 to $275.00 and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a research report on Friday, April 24th. Weiss Ratings downgraded shares of Union Pacific from a “buy (b)” rating to a “buy (b-)” rating in a research note on Tuesday. UBS Group reissued a “neutral” rating and issued a $274.00 price objective (up from $253.00) on shares of Union Pacific in a research report on Friday, April 24th. Finally, Wells Fargo & Company reissued an “overweight” rating and issued a $300.00 target price (up from $260.00) on shares of Union Pacific in a research note on Friday, April 24th. 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. According to MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $282.21.

Insider Transactions at Union Pacific

In other news, CFO Jennifer L. Hamann sold 2,000 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction on Friday, April 24th. The shares were sold at an average price of $274.70, for a total value of $549,400.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief financial officer directly owned 114,642 shares in the company, valued at approximately $31,492,157.40. This represents a 1.71% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this link. Also, EVP Kenyatta G. Rocker sold 27,387 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction on 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. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. Over the last three months, insiders have sold 32,378 shares of company stock valued at $8,781,595. Corporate insiders own 0.22% of the company’s stock.

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.