Union Pacific Target of Unusually Large Options Trading (NYSE:UNP)

Union Pacific Corporation (NYSE:UNP) saw some unusual options trading activity on Wednesday. Stock investors purchased 13,601 call options on the company. This is an increase of approximately 47% compared to the typical volume of 9,227 call options.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several research analysts have recently issued reports on the stock. Benchmark boosted their price objective on shares of Union Pacific from $275.00 to $300.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a report on Friday, April 24th. TD Cowen lifted their target price on Union Pacific from $256.00 to $282.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research report on Friday, April 24th. Robert W. Baird set a $311.00 price target on Union Pacific and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a report on Friday, March 6th. Wells Fargo & Company reiterated an “overweight” rating and issued a $300.00 price objective (up from $260.00) on shares of Union Pacific in a research report on Friday, April 24th. Finally, Susquehanna restated a “positive” rating and set a $305.00 price objective on shares of Union Pacific in a research report on Friday. One research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, twelve have issued a Buy rating and eight have assigned a Hold rating to the company’s stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $282.21.

Insider Activity

In other news, CFO Jennifer L. Hamann sold 2,000 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction 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 directly owned 114,642 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $31,492,157.40. This represents a 1.71% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through this link. Also, EVP Eric J. Gehringer sold 2,991 shares of the stock in a transaction on Wednesday, June 3rd. The stock was sold at an average price of $263.96, for a total value of $789,504.36. Following the sale, the executive vice president owned 43,012 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $11,353,447.52. This represents a 6.50% decrease in their ownership of the stock. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. Insiders have sold a total of 34,377 shares of company stock worth $9,251,221 in the last ninety days. Corporate insiders own 0.22% of the company’s stock.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Union Pacific

Institutional investors and hedge funds have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Rachor Investment Advisory Services LLC bought a new position in shares of Union Pacific in the fourth quarter valued at approximately $25,000. Tucker Asset Management LLC acquired a new stake in Union Pacific during the 4th quarter valued at $25,000. SWAN Capital LLC raised its position in Union Pacific by 2,575.0% in the 4th quarter. SWAN Capital LLC now owns 107 shares of the railroad operator’s stock valued at $25,000 after purchasing an additional 103 shares during the last quarter. High Point Wealth Management LLC acquired a new position in Union Pacific in the fourth quarter worth $26,000. Finally, Caitlin John LLC bought a new stake in shares of Union Pacific during the third quarter worth $27,000. 80.38% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Union Pacific Price Performance

Shares of UNP stock traded down $3.27 during trading hours on Wednesday, hitting $268.02. The company had a trading volume of 634,083 shares, compared to its average volume of 3,230,403. Union Pacific has a 12 month low of $210.84 and a 12 month high of $279.70. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.53, a quick ratio of 0.73 and a current ratio of 0.92. The firm’s fifty day moving average is $260.56 and its 200 day moving average is $247.90. The firm has a market capitalization of $159.12 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 22.10, a PEG ratio of 2.85 and a beta of 0.97.

Union Pacific (NYSE:UNP) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, April 23rd. The railroad operator reported $2.93 EPS for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate 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 for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $6.12 billion. During the same quarter in the previous year, the firm earned $2.70 EPS. Union Pacific’s quarterly revenue was up 3.2% on a year-over-year basis. On average, sell-side analysts predict that Union Pacific will post 12.53 EPS for the current fiscal 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 of this dividend is Friday, May 29th. This represents a $5.52 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 2.1%. Union Pacific’s dividend payout ratio is presently 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.