Gateway Investment Advisers LLC Sells 11,842 Shares of United Parcel Service, Inc. (NYSE:UPS)

Gateway Investment Advisers LLC decreased its holdings in shares of United Parcel Service, Inc. (NYSE:UPS) by 4.2% during the first quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the SEC. The fund owned 272,372 shares of the transportation company’s stock after selling 11,842 shares during the quarter. Gateway Investment Advisers LLC’s holdings in United Parcel Service were worth $40,483,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

A number of other institutional investors and hedge funds have also recently modified their holdings of the business. Vanguard Group Inc. lifted its holdings in shares of United Parcel Service by 0.3% in the 4th quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 67,218,714 shares of the transportation company’s stock worth $10,568,798,000 after buying an additional 178,394 shares during the period. Wellington Management Group LLP increased its position in United Parcel Service by 87.6% during the 4th quarter. Wellington Management Group LLP now owns 18,152,900 shares of the transportation company’s stock valued at $2,854,180,000 after purchasing an additional 8,475,698 shares during the period. International Assets Investment Management LLC raised its holdings in shares of United Parcel Service by 15,631.2% in the 4th quarter. International Assets Investment Management LLC now owns 14,502,261 shares of the transportation company’s stock valued at $2,280,190,000 after purchasing an additional 14,410,073 shares in the last quarter. Franklin Resources Inc. lifted its position in shares of United Parcel Service by 11.4% in the 4th quarter. Franklin Resources Inc. now owns 9,607,055 shares of the transportation company’s stock worth $1,510,517,000 after purchasing an additional 980,317 shares during the period. Finally, Norges Bank bought a new position in shares of United Parcel Service during the fourth quarter valued at approximately $1,128,322,000. 60.26% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

United Parcel Service Trading Down 2.7 %

Shares of UPS stock traded down $3.68 during trading hours on Tuesday, hitting $134.92. 1,315,020 shares of the company were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 4,004,397. The firm has a fifty day moving average of $142.22 and a 200 day moving average of $149.06. The company has a quick ratio of 1.04, a current ratio of 1.10 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.11. United Parcel Service, Inc. has a 1 year low of $132.90 and a 1 year high of $192.98. The firm has a market cap of $115.43 billion, a PE ratio of 19.70, a PEG ratio of 1.73 and a beta of 1.01.

United Parcel Service (NYSE:UPS) last released its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, April 23rd. The transportation company reported $1.43 EPS for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.33 by $0.10. The business had revenue of $21.70 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $21.84 billion. United Parcel Service had a return on equity of 37.42% and a net margin of 6.60%. The business’s revenue for the quarter was down 5.3% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period in the prior year, the firm posted $2.20 EPS. Analysts expect that United Parcel Service, Inc. will post 8.22 earnings per share for the current year.

United Parcel Service Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Thursday, May 30th. Investors of record on Monday, May 13th were given a dividend of $1.63 per share. The ex-dividend date was Friday, May 10th. This represents a $6.52 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 4.83%. United Parcel Service’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 94.49%.

Analyst Ratings Changes

Several brokerages have issued reports on UPS. Bank of America increased their target price on United Parcel Service from $157.00 to $160.00 and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a research report on Wednesday, April 24th. Redburn Atlantic raised shares of United Parcel Service from a “neutral” rating to a “buy” rating and set a $180.00 target price for the company in a research report on Wednesday, April 3rd. Evercore ISI reduced their price target on United Parcel Service from $157.00 to $145.00 and set an “in-line” rating on the stock in a research report on Monday. Wells Fargo & Company initiated coverage on United Parcel Service in a research report on Friday, June 7th. They issued an “overweight” rating and a $156.00 price objective for the company. Finally, Stifel Nicolaus lowered their price objective on shares of United Parcel Service from $178.00 to $170.00 and set a “buy” rating for the company in a research note on Thursday, March 28th. One research analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, thirteen have given a hold rating, nine have given a buy rating and one has given a strong buy rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat.com, United Parcel Service presently has an average rating of “Hold” and a consensus price target of $164.55.

United Parcel Service Company Profile

United Parcel Service, Inc, a package delivery company, provides transportation and delivery, distribution, contract logistics, ocean freight, airfreight, customs brokerage, and insurance services. It operates through two segments, U.S. Domestic Package and International Package. The U.S. Domestic Package segment offers time-definite delivery of express letters, documents, small packages, and palletized freight through air and ground services in the United States.