IVY Lane Capital Management LLC Has $4.63 Million Stake in Union Pacific Corporation $UNP

IVY Lane Capital Management LLC cut its holdings in shares of Union Pacific Corporation (NYSE:UNP) by 16.7% during the 4th quarter, Holdings Channel reports. The institutional investor owned 20,000 shares of the railroad operator’s stock after selling 4,000 shares during the quarter. Union Pacific comprises about 5.8% of IVY Lane Capital Management LLC’s holdings, making the stock its 6th largest position. IVY Lane Capital Management LLC’s holdings in Union Pacific were worth $4,626,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Other institutional investors and hedge funds have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Magellan Asset Management Ltd bought a new stake in shares of Union Pacific in the 3rd quarter valued at about $69,343,000. Jefferies Financial Group Inc. lifted its stake in shares of Union Pacific by 1,581.2% in the third quarter. Jefferies Financial Group Inc. now owns 232,000 shares of the railroad operator’s stock worth $54,838,000 after acquiring an additional 218,200 shares during the period. North Dakota State Investment Board bought a new stake in Union Pacific in the fourth quarter valued at approximately $4,746,000. First National Bank of Omaha increased its position in Union Pacific by 35.8% during 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 during the period. Finally, Avanza Fonder AB bought a new position in Union Pacific during the 4th quarter worth approximately $1,449,000. 80.38% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

A number of research firms have recently commented on UNP. Barclays reaffirmed 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. TD Cowen boosted their target price on shares of Union Pacific from $256.00 to $282.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a report on Friday, April 24th. Sanford C. Bernstein upped their price target on shares of Union Pacific from $289.00 to $293.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a research report on Tuesday, March 31st. Royal Bank Of Canada reissued an “outperform” rating and issued a $289.00 price objective (up from $273.00) on shares of Union Pacific in a research report on Friday, April 24th. Finally, BMO Capital Markets restated a “market perform” rating and set a $285.00 target price (up from $278.00) on shares of Union Pacific in a research report on Friday, April 24th. One research 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 stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the company has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $282.21.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other Union Pacific news, EVP Eric J. Gehringer sold 2,991 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction on Wednesday, June 3rd. The shares were sold at an average price of $263.96, for a total value of $789,504.36. Following the transaction, the executive vice president directly owned 43,012 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $11,353,447.52. This trade represents a 6.50% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this hyperlink. Also, CFO Jennifer L. Hamann sold 2,000 shares of Union Pacific stock in a transaction dated Friday, April 24th. The shares were sold at an average price of $274.70, for a total transaction of $549,400.00. Following the transaction, the chief financial officer owned 114,642 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $31,492,157.40. This represents a 1.71% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. Over the last 90 days, insiders have sold 34,377 shares of company stock worth $9,251,221. Insiders own 0.22% of the company’s stock.

Union Pacific Price Performance

Shares of NYSE UNP opened at $267.54 on Wednesday. The firm has a market capitalization of $158.84 billion, a P/E ratio of 22.04, a P/E/G ratio of 2.83 and a beta of 0.97. The firm’s 50-day moving average price is $263.15 and its 200-day moving average price is $249.38. The company has a current ratio of 0.92, a quick ratio of 0.73 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.53. Union Pacific Corporation has a 1-year low of $210.84 and a 1-year high of $279.70.

Union Pacific (NYSE:UNP) last issued its earnings results on Thursday, April 23rd. The railroad operator reported $2.93 EPS for the quarter, beating 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 business had revenue of $6.22 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $6.12 billion. During the same period in the previous year, the company posted $2.70 EPS. The firm’s revenue was up 3.2% compared to the same quarter last year. Equities research analysts anticipate that Union Pacific Corporation will post 12.55 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Union Pacific Announces Dividend

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, June 30th. Shareholders 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 yield of 2.1%. The ex-dividend date is Friday, May 29th. Union Pacific’s payout ratio is 45.47%.

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.