Investors Buy High Volume of Union Pacific Call Options (NYSE:UNP)

Union Pacific Corporation (NYSE:UNP) saw some unusual options trading on Monday. Traders bought 30,046 call options on the stock. This is an increase of approximately 310% compared to the typical daily volume of 7,326 call options.

Analyst Ratings Changes

Several equities analysts have recently commented on UNP shares. JPMorgan Chase & Co. upped their target price on Union Pacific from $267.00 to $275.00 and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a research report on Friday, April 24th. TD Cowen upped their target price on Union Pacific from $256.00 to $282.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research report on Friday, April 24th. UBS Group reaffirmed a “neutral” rating and issued a $274.00 target price (up from $253.00) on shares of Union Pacific in a research report on Friday, April 24th. Citigroup reaffirmed a “buy” rating and issued a $307.00 target price (up from $285.00) on shares of Union Pacific in a research report on Friday, April 24th. Finally, Evercore reiterated an “outperform” rating and issued a $277.00 price target 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 data from MarketBeat, the stock presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $280.47.

Insider Activity

In other news, EVP Kenyatta G. Rocker sold 27,387 shares of the company’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 value of $7,442,691.12. Following the transaction, the executive vice president owned 61,102 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $16,605,079.52. This represents a 30.95% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this link. Also, EVP Eric J. Gehringer sold 1,999 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, March 20th. The shares were sold at an average price of $234.93, for a total value of $469,625.07. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. Over the last quarter, insiders have sold 31,386 shares of company stock valued at $8,461,716. 0.22% of the stock is owned by insiders.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Several institutional investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Key Financial Inc raised its position in Union Pacific by 2.1% during the first quarter. Key Financial Inc now owns 1,821 shares of the railroad operator’s stock valued at $442,000 after purchasing an additional 38 shares in the last quarter. Members Trust Co raised its position in Union Pacific by 2.5% during the first quarter. Members Trust Co now owns 1,573 shares of the railroad operator’s stock valued at $382,000 after purchasing an additional 38 shares in the last quarter. EJMK Ventures LLC raised its position in Union Pacific by 4.0% during the first quarter. EJMK Ventures LLC now owns 1,016 shares of the railroad operator’s stock valued at $247,000 after purchasing an additional 39 shares in the last quarter. Rehmann Capital Advisory Group raised its position in Union Pacific by 0.6% during the fourth quarter. Rehmann Capital Advisory Group now owns 6,637 shares of the railroad operator’s stock valued at $1,535,000 after purchasing an additional 42 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Fairvoy Private Wealth LLC raised its position in Union Pacific by 3.8% during the first quarter. Fairvoy Private Wealth LLC now owns 1,156 shares of the railroad operator’s stock valued at $280,000 after purchasing an additional 42 shares in the last quarter. 80.38% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Union Pacific Stock Up 1.6%

NYSE UNP opened at $274.93 on Tuesday. 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 has a 1-year low of $210.84 and a 1-year high of $276.40. The company has a 50 day moving average of $252.59 and a 200-day moving average of $242.63. The company has a market cap of $163.23 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 22.65, a PEG ratio of 2.87 and a beta of 0.99.

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, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $2.86 by $0.07. Union Pacific had a net margin of 29.20% and a return on equity of 39.58%. The company had revenue of $6.22 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $6.12 billion. During the same period in the previous year, the business earned $2.70 earnings per share. The firm’s quarterly revenue was up 3.2% on a year-over-year basis. On average, equities research analysts expect that Union Pacific will post 12.53 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Union Pacific Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, June 30th. Stockholders of record on Friday, May 29th will be given a $1.38 dividend. This represents a $5.52 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 2.0%. The ex-dividend date is Friday, May 29th. Union Pacific’s payout ratio is presently 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.