Stock Traders Purchase High Volume of Union Pacific Call Options (NYSE:UNP)

Posted by Geri Gentry on Jul 27th, 2026

Union Pacific Corporation (NYSE:UNP – Get Free Report) saw some unusual options trading activity on Monday. Stock investors purchased 10,816 call options on the company. This is an increase of 44% compared to the typical volume of 7,529 call options.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several equities analysts recently weighed in on UNP shares. The Goldman Sachs Group set a $317.00 price objective on Union Pacific and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a research note on Thursday. Weiss Ratings upgraded Union Pacific from a “buy (b-)” rating to a “buy (b)” rating in a research report on Friday. Evercore reissued an “outperform” rating and issued a $294.00 target price on shares of Union Pacific in a report on Thursday, June 25th. Royal Bank Of Canada reissued an “outperform” rating and issued a $339.00 target price (up from $289.00) on shares of Union Pacific in a report on Friday. Finally, BMO Capital Markets restated a “market perform” rating and issued a $320.00 price target (up from $285.00) on shares of Union Pacific in a research report on Friday. Two equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, thirteen have given a Buy rating and seven have issued a Hold rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat, the company presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $320.89.

Read Our Latest Analysis on UNP

Insider Activity

In other news, EVP Eric J. Gehringer sold 2,991 shares of Union Pacific stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, June 3rd. The shares were sold at an average price of $263.96, for a total transaction of $789,504.36. Following the completion of the sale, the executive vice president directly owned 43,012 shares in the company, valued at approximately $11,353,447.52. This trade represents a 6.50% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through the SEC website. Insiders own 0.22% of the company’s stock.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Union Pacific

A number of institutional investors have recently made changes to their positions in UNP. Vanguard Group Inc. boosted its stake in shares of Union Pacific by 1.1% during the fourth quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 59,329,262 shares of the railroad operator’s stock valued at $13,724,045,000 after acquiring an additional 659,378 shares during the last quarter. State Street Corp raised its stake in Union Pacific by 4.3% in the 4th quarter. State Street Corp now owns 26,330,080 shares of the railroad operator’s stock valued at $6,090,674,000 after purchasing an additional 1,082,285 shares during the last quarter. Capital World Investors raised its stake in Union Pacific by 92.1% in the 4th quarter. Capital World Investors now owns 20,136,349 shares of the railroad operator’s stock valued at $4,658,142,000 after purchasing an additional 9,655,306 shares during the last quarter. Geode Capital Management LLC lifted its holdings in Union Pacific by 2.0% in the 4th quarter. Geode Capital Management LLC now owns 15,360,668 shares of the railroad operator’s stock valued at $3,552,550,000 after purchasing an additional 296,814 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Bank of America Corp DE lifted its holdings in Union Pacific by 16.8% in the 1st quarter. Bank of America Corp DE now owns 14,463,071 shares of the railroad operator’s stock valued at $3,509,030,000 after purchasing an additional 2,084,808 shares in the last quarter. 80.38% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Key Union Pacific News

Here are the key news stories impacting Union Pacific this week:

Positive Sentiment: Canadian National said it will not oppose Union Pacific’s proposed acquisition of Norfolk Southern under a revised agreement. The arrangement would give Canadian National access to shipper facilities that could otherwise face fewer Class I railroad options, potentially reducing a source of regulatory resistance. The transaction still requires approval from the Surface Transportation Board. Canadian National won’t fight UP-NS merger under new deal
Positive Sentiment: Robert W. Baird raised its UNP price target to $344 from $311 and maintained an “outperform” rating, signaling confidence in the railroad’s earnings outlook and potential merger benefits.
Positive Sentiment: Union Pacific’s latest quarterly results exceeded expectations, with earnings and revenue above consensus and revenue growth of 11.5% year over year. Analysts also point to service-led growth as a potential driver of better margins and future earnings. Union Pacific: Service-Led Growth Can Drive Better Margins And Earnings
Positive Sentiment: Traders purchased approximately 10,816 UNP call options, about 44% above typical volume, indicating increased near-term bullish positioning, although options activity is not a guarantee of future gains.
Neutral Sentiment: Analyst coverage remains broadly constructive: Benchmark raised its price target to $335, while the overall analyst consensus is “Moderate Buy.”
Neutral Sentiment: Market commentary contrasts UNP’s standalone growth prospects with Norfolk Southern’s merger-dependent investment case, potentially making UNP more attractive to investors seeking operating growth rather than event-driven exposure. UNP vs. NSC: One Is a Growth Play, the Other a Merger Bet
Negative Sentiment: The Norfolk Southern transaction remains subject to STB approval and could face additional scrutiny over competition, shipper access, integration execution, and the cost of combining two major railroads. UNP’s relatively high valuation may also leave the stock vulnerable to profit-taking when merger news does not produce immediate approval.

Union Pacific Price Performance

Shares of UNP stock traded down $7.85 during trading hours on Monday, hitting $299.47. The company’s stock had a trading volume of 3,061,179 shares, compared to its average volume of 3,177,588. The business has a fifty day moving average of $275.12 and a 200-day moving average of $258.50. The stock has a market cap of $177.91 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 24.25, a P/E/G ratio of 3.16 and a beta of 0.96. Union Pacific has a twelve month low of $210.84 and a twelve month high of $315.99. The company has a current ratio of 0.99, a quick ratio of 0.82 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.40.

Union Pacific (NYSE:UNP – Get Free Report) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, July 23rd. The railroad operator reported $3.41 earnings per share for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $3.26 by $0.15. Union Pacific had a net margin of 28.85% and a return on equity of 38.46%. The business had revenue of $6.86 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $6.72 billion. During the same period last year, the company posted $3.03 EPS. The company’s revenue was up 11.5% on a year-over-year basis. As a group, equities research analysts anticipate that Union Pacific will post 12.84 EPS for the current year.

Union Pacific Dividend Announcement

The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Tuesday, June 30th. Shareholders of record on Friday, May 29th were issued a dividend of $1.38 per share. This represents a $5.52 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 1.8%. The ex-dividend date was Friday, May 29th. Union Pacific’s dividend payout ratio is 44.70%.

About Union Pacific

(Get Free Report)

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.