MUFG Securities EMEA plc Purchases 12,969 Shares of Union Pacific Corporation $UNP

MUFG Securities EMEA plc increased its position in Union Pacific Corporation (NYSE:UNP) by 114.3% in the fourth quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The firm owned 24,320 shares of the railroad operator’s stock after acquiring an additional 12,969 shares during the quarter. MUFG Securities EMEA plc’s holdings in Union Pacific were worth $5,626,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

A number of other large investors also recently modified their holdings of UNP. Acadian Asset Management LLC increased its position in shares of Union Pacific by 40.4% in the first quarter. Acadian Asset Management LLC now owns 2,312 shares of the railroad operator’s stock worth $546,000 after purchasing an additional 665 shares during the last quarter. Schnieders Capital Management LLC. increased its position in shares of Union Pacific by 0.5% in the second quarter. Schnieders Capital Management LLC. now owns 20,606 shares of the railroad operator’s stock worth $4,741,000 after purchasing an additional 102 shares during the last quarter. Main Street Financial Solutions LLC increased its position in shares of Union Pacific by 1.6% in the second quarter. Main Street Financial Solutions LLC now owns 3,733 shares of the railroad operator’s stock worth $859,000 after purchasing an additional 58 shares during the last quarter. HUB Investment Partners LLC increased its position in shares of Union Pacific by 10.0% in the second quarter. HUB Investment Partners LLC now owns 6,091 shares of the railroad operator’s stock worth $1,401,000 after purchasing an additional 554 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Alliancebernstein L.P. increased its position in shares of Union Pacific by 7.4% in the second quarter. Alliancebernstein L.P. now owns 1,528,426 shares of the railroad operator’s stock worth $351,660,000 after purchasing an additional 105,664 shares during the last quarter. 80.38% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

Several research firms recently weighed in on UNP. UBS Group restated 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. JPMorgan Chase & Co. increased their target price on Union Pacific from $267.00 to $275.00 and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a research note on Friday, April 24th. 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. Weiss Ratings raised Union Pacific from a “buy (b-)” rating to a “buy (b)” rating in a research note on Tuesday, April 21st. Finally, Raymond James Financial set a $310.00 price objective 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 assigned a Buy rating and eight have assigned a Hold rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $280.47.

Key Headlines Impacting Union Pacific

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

• Positive Sentiment: The STB did accept Union Pacific’s revised merger application, which keeps the transaction alive and moves it one step forward in the regulatory process. Article Title
• Neutral Sentiment: Brookfield Infrastructure may benefit from divestitures if the merger eventually proceeds, since regulators are expected to require sales of regional lines, yards, or equipment. Article Title
• Neutral Sentiment: Union Pacific and Norfolk Southern said they will work with regulators and continue pushing the case for creating the first transcontinental railroad. Article Title
• Negative Sentiment: The STB’s pause signals more regulatory friction, extending the approval timeline and increasing uncertainty around whether the merger will close on the company’s preferred schedule. Article Title
• Negative Sentiment: CN publicly backed the regulator’s decision to freeze the review, arguing Union Pacific and Norfolk Southern still haven’t met the higher standard needed to justify the deal. Article Title

Insider Transactions at Union Pacific

In other news, CFO Jennifer L. Hamann sold 2,000 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction that occurred 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 transaction, the chief financial officer owned 114,642 shares in the company, valued at approximately $31,492,157.40. This trade 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 is accessible through this hyperlink. Also, EVP Kenyatta G. Rocker sold 27,387 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction that occurred on 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 transaction, the executive vice president owned 61,102 shares in the company, valued at $16,605,079.52. This represents a 30.95% decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. Over the last 90 days, insiders have sold 31,386 shares of company stock worth $8,461,716. Insiders own 0.22% of the company’s stock.

Union Pacific Stock Up 0.1%

Shares of Union Pacific stock opened at $262.83 on Monday. 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 52-week low of $210.84 and a 52-week high of $279.70. The stock has a market capitalization of $156.04 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 21.65, a P/E/G ratio of 2.79 and a beta of 0.97. The company’s 50 day moving average price is $256.57 and its 200-day moving average price is $245.71.

Union Pacific (NYSE:UNP) last issued its earnings results on Thursday, April 23rd. The railroad operator reported $2.93 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $2.86 by $0.07. Union Pacific had a net margin of 29.20% and a return on equity of 39.58%. The firm had revenue of $6.22 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $6.12 billion. During the same quarter last year, the business earned $2.70 earnings per share. The business’s revenue was up 3.2% on a year-over-year basis. 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 announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, June 30th. Stockholders of record on Friday, May 29th will be issued a $1.38 dividend. The ex-dividend date is Friday, May 29th. This represents a $5.52 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 2.1%. Union Pacific’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 45.47%.

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.