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

Union Pacific Co. (NYSE:UNP) saw unusually large options trading activity on Thursday. Traders acquired 6,303 call options on the stock. This represents an increase of 57% compared to the average volume of 4,022 call options.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

A number of hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently modified their holdings of the company. Alley Investment Management Company LLC boosted its holdings in shares of Union Pacific by 0.6% during the 2nd quarter. Alley Investment Management Company LLC now owns 76,245 shares of the railroad operator’s stock worth $17,251,000 after buying an additional 484 shares during the period. AXA S.A. boosted its holdings in shares of Union Pacific by 16.1% during the 2nd quarter. AXA S.A. now owns 616,689 shares of the railroad operator’s stock worth $139,532,000 after buying an additional 85,734 shares during the period. AQR Capital Management LLC boosted its holdings in shares of Union Pacific by 49.3% during the 2nd quarter. AQR Capital Management LLC now owns 179,962 shares of the railroad operator’s stock worth $40,653,000 after buying an additional 59,418 shares during the period. APG Asset Management N.V. boosted its holdings in shares of Union Pacific by 23.4% during the 2nd quarter. APG Asset Management N.V. now owns 350,945 shares of the railroad operator’s stock worth $74,089,000 after buying an additional 66,650 shares during the period. Finally, Ameriprise Financial Inc. boosted its holdings in shares of Union Pacific by 1.3% during the 2nd quarter. Ameriprise Financial Inc. now owns 8,312,154 shares of the railroad operator’s stock worth $1,880,701,000 after buying an additional 106,996 shares during the period. Institutional investors own 80.38% of the company’s stock.

Union Pacific Stock Up 5.1 %

Union Pacific stock opened at $247.83 on Friday. The company has a market cap of $150.25 billion, a P/E ratio of 22.76, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.13 and a beta of 1.06. Union Pacific has a 1-year low of $218.55 and a 1-year high of $258.66. The company has a fifty day simple moving average of $233.54 and a 200 day simple moving average of $239.16. The company has a current ratio of 0.77, a quick ratio of 0.63 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.79.

Union Pacific (NYSE:UNP) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, January 23rd. The railroad operator reported $2.91 EPS for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $2.76 by $0.15. Union Pacific had a net margin of 27.33% and a return on equity of 41.79%. During the same period in the prior year, the firm posted $2.71 earnings per share. Research analysts anticipate that Union Pacific will post 10.96 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Union Pacific Announces Dividend

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Monday, December 30th. Stockholders of record on Monday, December 9th were given a $1.34 dividend. This represents a $5.36 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 2.16%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Monday, December 9th. Union Pacific’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 49.22%.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

Several equities research analysts have weighed in on the stock. TD Cowen cut their target price on shares of Union Pacific from $255.00 to $252.00 and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a report on Friday, October 25th. StockNews.com lowered shares of Union Pacific from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a report on Tuesday, October 1st. Raymond James increased their target price on shares of Union Pacific from $260.00 to $265.00 and gave the stock a “strong-buy” rating in a report on Friday, January 10th. Sanford C. Bernstein cut their target price on shares of Union Pacific from $277.00 to $272.00 and set an “outperform” rating on the stock in a report on Wednesday, October 9th. Finally, Stifel Nicolaus dropped their price objective on shares of Union Pacific from $262.00 to $253.00 and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a report on Thursday, January 16th. Nine investment analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, eleven have issued a buy rating and one has issued a strong buy rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the company presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $259.35.

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.