Union Pacific Sees Unusually High Options Volume (NYSE:UNP)

Union Pacific Co. (NYSE:UNP) was the recipient of unusually large options trading activity on Thursday. Investors purchased 9,004 call options on the company. This represents an increase of approximately 84% compared to the average volume of 4,901 call options.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

Several analysts recently issued reports on UNP shares. TD Cowen increased their price target on shares of Union Pacific from $252.00 to $258.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research report on Friday. Sanford C. Bernstein upgraded shares of Union Pacific from a “market perform” rating to an “outperform” rating and set a $280.00 price target on the stock in a research report on Monday, January 22nd. Jefferies Financial Group started coverage on shares of Union Pacific in a research report on Monday, April 8th. They set a “hold” rating and a $250.00 price target on the stock. UBS Group increased their price target on shares of Union Pacific from $235.00 to $248.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a research report on Friday, January 26th. Finally, StockNews.com upgraded shares of Union Pacific from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a research report on Friday. Seven analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, thirteen have assigned a buy rating and one has issued a strong buy rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat, the company presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $258.78.

Union Pacific Price Performance

UNP stock opened at $242.84 on Friday. The company has a fifty day moving average price of $244.27 and a 200-day moving average price of $234.95. The company has a market capitalization of $148.16 billion, a P/E ratio of 23.17, a PEG ratio of 2.63 and a beta of 1.07. Union Pacific has a 52-week low of $190.45 and a 52-week high of $258.66. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.99, a quick ratio of 0.67 and a current ratio of 0.93.

Union Pacific (NYSE:UNP) last released its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, April 25th. The railroad operator reported $2.69 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $2.50 by $0.19. The firm had revenue of $6.03 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $5.97 billion. Union Pacific had a net margin of 26.52% and a return on equity of 44.34%. The company’s revenue for the quarter was down .4% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter last year, the firm earned $2.67 earnings per share. As a group, equities analysts expect that Union Pacific will post 11.01 EPS for the current year.

Union Pacific Announces Dividend

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, March 29th. Investors of record on Thursday, February 29th were paid a dividend of $1.30 per share. This represents a $5.20 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 2.14%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Wednesday, February 28th. Union Pacific’s dividend payout ratio is presently 49.62%.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other Union Pacific news, President Elizabeth F. Whited sold 3,750 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, February 15th. The shares were sold at an average price of $250.00, for a total transaction of $937,500.00. Following the transaction, the president now owns 56,682 shares in the company, valued at approximately $14,170,500. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is accessible through the SEC website. Company insiders own 0.28% of the company’s stock.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Union Pacific

Hedge funds have recently bought and sold shares of the company. OLD Point Trust & Financial Services N A bought a new position in Union Pacific during the fourth quarter worth $25,000. Richardson Capital Management LLC bought a new stake in Union Pacific in the first quarter valued at $26,000. Raleigh Capital Management Inc. increased its stake in Union Pacific by 211.4% in the fourth quarter. Raleigh Capital Management Inc. now owns 109 shares of the railroad operator’s stock valued at $27,000 after purchasing an additional 74 shares in the last quarter. Valued Wealth Advisors LLC bought a new stake in Union Pacific in the fourth quarter valued at $28,000. Finally, Scarborough Advisors LLC bought a new stake in Union Pacific in the fourth quarter valued at $29,000. Institutional investors own 80.38% of the company’s stock.

Union Pacific Company Profile

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.