Citizens Financial Group Inc. RI Decreases Stake in Union Pacific Corporation $UNP

Citizens Financial Group Inc. RI cut its stake in shares of Union Pacific Corporation (NYSE:UNP) by 20.3% during the first quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The firm owned 36,158 shares of the railroad operator’s stock after selling 9,191 shares during the quarter. Citizens Financial Group Inc. RI’s holdings in Union Pacific were worth $8,773,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Other large investors have also made changes to their positions in the company. Vanguard Group Inc. boosted its holdings in Union Pacific by 1.1% during the fourth quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 59,329,262 shares of the railroad operator’s stock worth $13,724,045,000 after buying an additional 659,378 shares in the last quarter. State Street Corp increased its holdings in Union Pacific by 4.3% in the fourth quarter. State Street Corp now owns 26,330,080 shares of the railroad operator’s stock valued at $6,090,674,000 after buying an additional 1,082,285 shares in the last quarter. Capital World Investors lifted its position in shares of Union Pacific by 92.1% during the 4th quarter. Capital World Investors now owns 20,136,349 shares of the railroad operator’s stock valued at $4,658,142,000 after acquiring an additional 9,655,306 shares during the period. Geode Capital Management LLC lifted its position in shares of Union Pacific by 2.0% during the 4th quarter. Geode Capital Management LLC now owns 15,360,668 shares of the railroad operator’s stock valued at $3,552,550,000 after acquiring an additional 296,814 shares during the period. Finally, Morgan Stanley lifted its position in shares of Union Pacific by 5.0% during the 4th quarter. Morgan Stanley now owns 12,636,050 shares of the railroad operator’s stock valued at $2,922,971,000 after acquiring an additional 602,647 shares during the period. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 80.38% of the company’s stock.

Insider Activity

In related news, EVP Eric J. Gehringer sold 2,991 shares of the firm’s 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 sale, the executive vice president owned 43,012 shares in the company, valued at approximately $11,353,447.52. This trade represents a 6.50% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. Also, CFO Jennifer L. Hamann sold 2,000 shares of Union Pacific stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, April 24th. The stock was sold at an average price of $274.70, for a total transaction of $549,400.00. Following the completion of the sale, the chief financial officer directly owned 114,642 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $31,492,157.40. The trade was a 1.71% decrease in their ownership of the stock. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. Insiders sold a total of 32,378 shares of company stock valued at $8,781,595 over the last 90 days. Insiders own 0.22% of the company’s stock.

Union Pacific News Summary

Here are the key news stories impacting Union Pacific this week:

• Positive Sentiment: JPMorgan raised its price target on Union Pacific to $304 from $275, implying additional upside from current levels, while keeping a neutral rating. Article: Union Pacific price target raised by JPMorgan Chase & Co.
• Positive Sentiment: Stephens upgraded Union Pacific to strong-buy, signaling confidence in the railroad’s earnings outlook and valuation momentum. Article: Union Pacific was upgraded by Stephens
• Positive Sentiment: Coverage around Union Pacific and Norfolk Southern’s proposed merger continues to advance, with both companies filing responses as the regulatory review moves forward. Investors may see the deal as a potential long-term strategic catalyst if approved. Article: Norfolk Southern (NSC) Files Merger Response With Union Pacific As STB Review Advances
• Neutral Sentiment: Commentary on the proposed rail merger from Union Pacific and Norfolk Southern CEOs highlights the scale of the strategic opportunity, but also underscores that the deal remains subject to significant regulatory scrutiny. Article: EXCLUSIVE: Union Pacific, Norfolk Southern CEOs talk about the rail merger
• Neutral Sentiment: Seeking Alpha published a downgrade saying buying Union Pacific now may be “too late,” which adds a cautionary note but does not appear to outweigh the bullish analyst actions. Article: Union Pacific: Buying Now Feels Too Late (Rating Downgrade)

Union Pacific Stock Up 0.1%

UNP opened at $287.27 on Monday. The firm has a market cap of $170.55 billion, a P/E ratio of 23.66, a PEG ratio of 3.02 and a beta of 0.96. The business’s fifty day simple moving average is $269.23 and its 200 day simple moving average is $254.07. Union Pacific Corporation has a 52 week low of $210.84 and a 52 week high of $288.90. 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 (NYSE:UNP) last announced its earnings results on Thursday, April 23rd. The railroad operator reported $2.93 earnings per share for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $2.86 by $0.07. The firm 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%. The firm’s revenue for the quarter was up 3.2% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter in the previous year, the company posted $2.70 EPS. As a group, equities research analysts anticipate that Union Pacific Corporation will post 12.56 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Union Pacific Dividend Announcement

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Tuesday, June 30th. Stockholders of record on Friday, May 29th were issued a dividend of $1.38 per share. The ex-dividend date was Friday, May 29th. This represents a $5.52 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 1.9%. Union Pacific’s payout ratio is 45.47%.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

A number of research firms recently weighed in on UNP. Royal Bank Of Canada restated an “outperform” rating and issued a $289.00 price target (up from $273.00) on shares of Union Pacific in a report on Friday, April 24th. Weiss Ratings cut Union Pacific from a “buy (b)” rating to a “buy (b-)” rating in a report on Tuesday, June 23rd. Susquehanna reaffirmed a “positive” rating and set a $305.00 price objective on shares of Union Pacific in a report on Friday, June 5th. Evercore reiterated an “outperform” rating and set a $294.00 target price on shares of Union Pacific in a research report on Thursday, June 25th. Finally, Raymond James Financial set a $310.00 target price on Union Pacific in a report on Friday, April 24th. Two equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, twelve have issued a Buy rating and seven have assigned a Hold rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat, the company has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $290.39.

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.