Union Pacific Co. (NYSE:UNP) Shares Acquired by Ilmarinen Mutual Pension Insurance Co

Ilmarinen Mutual Pension Insurance Co increased its stake in Union Pacific Co. (NYSE:UNP - Free Report) by 33.6% in the fourth quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 87,500 shares of the railroad operator's stock after purchasing an additional 22,000 shares during the period. Ilmarinen Mutual Pension Insurance Co's holdings in Union Pacific were worth $19,954,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission.

Several other large investors also recently bought and sold shares of the stock. Compass Financial Services Inc acquired a new position in shares of Union Pacific in the 4th quarter valued at $25,000. Synergy Asset Management LLC acquired a new position in shares of Union Pacific in the fourth quarter valued at about $29,000. Dunhill Financial LLC raised its stake in shares of Union Pacific by 111.5% in the third quarter. Dunhill Financial LLC now owns 129 shares of the railroad operator's stock worth $32,000 after purchasing an additional 68 shares during the last quarter. PrairieView Partners LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Union Pacific during the fourth quarter worth about $34,000. Finally, Kentucky Trust Co purchased a new stake in Union Pacific in the fourth quarter valued at approximately $40,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 80.38% of the company's stock.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several brokerages have commented on UNP. Stifel Nicolaus lifted their price objective on shares of Union Pacific from $253.00 to $270.00 and gave the company a "buy" rating in a research note on Friday, January 24th. Citigroup raised shares of Union Pacific from a "neutral" rating to a "buy" rating and lowered their price target for the company from $260.00 to $244.00 in a report on Tuesday. Guggenheim lifted their price objective on Union Pacific from $266.00 to $275.00 and gave the company a "buy" rating in a research note on Friday, January 24th. Benchmark upped their target price on Union Pacific from $266.00 to $275.00 and gave the stock a "buy" rating in a research note on Friday, January 24th. Finally, Jefferies Financial Group reduced their price target on Union Pacific from $255.00 to $230.00 and set a "hold" rating for the company in a research report on Wednesday. One research analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, seven have assigned a hold rating, fourteen have issued a buy rating and one has assigned a strong buy rating to the company's stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, Union Pacific has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average price target of $260.32.

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Insiders Place Their Bets

In other Union Pacific news, EVP Craig V. Richardson sold 6,495 shares of Union Pacific stock in a transaction on Monday, January 27th. The stock was sold at an average price of $252.00, for a total value of $1,636,740.00. Following the sale, the executive vice president now owns 26,319 shares in the company, valued at $6,632,388. The trade was a 19.79 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through the SEC website. Also, President Elizabeth F. Whited sold 7,500 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction dated Friday, January 24th. The stock was sold at an average price of $250.00, for a total value of $1,875,000.00. Following the sale, the president now directly owns 64,960 shares of the company's stock, valued at $16,240,000. The trade was a 10.35 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Corporate insiders own 0.28% of the company's stock.

Union Pacific Price Performance

Shares of Union Pacific stock traded down $2.27 during trading hours on Thursday, reaching $221.26. 3,084,329 shares of the company's stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 2,505,959. The business has a fifty day moving average of $238.46 and a two-hundred day moving average of $237.67. The company has a quick ratio of 0.62, a current ratio of 0.77 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.76. The company has a market capitalization of $132.61 billion, a P/E ratio of 19.85, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.15 and a beta of 1.06. Union Pacific Co. has a 1 year low of $204.66 and a 1 year high of $258.07.

Union Pacific (NYSE:UNP - Get Free Report) last released its earnings results on Thursday, January 23rd. The railroad operator reported $2.91 earnings per share for the quarter, topping analysts' consensus estimates of $2.76 by $0.15. Union Pacific had a net margin of 27.82% and a return on equity of 41.12%. During the same period last year, the business posted $2.71 EPS. As a group, research analysts predict that Union Pacific Co. will post 11.99 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Union Pacific Announces Dividend

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Monday, March 31st. Shareholders of record on Friday, February 28th were paid a dividend of $1.34 per share. This represents a $5.36 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 2.42%. The ex-dividend date was Friday, February 28th. Union Pacific's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 48.33%.

About Union Pacific

Union Pacific Corporation, through its subsidiary, Union Pacific Railroad Company, operates in the railroad business in the United States. The company offers transportation services for grain and grain products, fertilizers, food and refrigerated products, and coal and renewables to grain processors, animal feeders, ethanol producers, renewable biofuel producers, and other agricultural users; and construction products, industrial chemicals, plastics, forest products, specialized products, metals and ores, petroleum, liquid petroleum gases, soda ash, and sand, as well as finished automobiles, automotive parts, and merchandise in intermodal containers.