United Parcel Service (NYSE:UPS) Shares Up 1.4%

United Parcel Service, Inc. (NYSE:UPS) shares shot up 1.4% during trading on Friday . The company traded as high as $140.16 and last traded at $140.15. 334,994 shares changed hands during mid-day trading, a decline of 92% from the average session volume of 3,968,381 shares. The stock had previously closed at $138.24.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several research analysts have recently weighed in on the company. Wells Fargo & Company assumed 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. Evercore ISI lowered their price objective on United Parcel Service from $157.00 to $145.00 and set an “in-line” rating for the company in a research report on Monday, June 24th. BMO Capital Markets lifted their price objective on United Parcel Service from $165.00 to $169.00 and gave the stock a “market perform” rating in a research report on Wednesday, April 24th. Susquehanna raised their target price on United Parcel Service from $150.00 to $160.00 and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a research note on Wednesday, April 24th. Finally, Oppenheimer raised their target price on United Parcel Service from $153.00 to $157.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a research note on Wednesday, April 24th. One research analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, thirteen have assigned a hold rating, nine have given a buy rating and one has issued a strong buy rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, United Parcel Service has an average rating of “Hold” and a consensus price target of $164.55.

United Parcel Service Price Performance

The business’s 50-day moving average price is $139.65 and its 200 day moving average price is $147.14. The stock has a market capitalization of $122.57 billion, a PE ratio of 20.31, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.72 and a beta of 0.98. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.11, a quick ratio of 1.04 and a current ratio of 1.10.

United Parcel Service (NYSE:UPS) last released its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, April 23rd. The transportation company reported $1.43 EPS for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.33 by $0.10. United Parcel Service had a net margin of 6.60% and a return on equity of 37.42%. The firm had revenue of $21.70 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $21.84 billion. During the same period in the previous year, the business earned $2.20 EPS. The business’s revenue for the quarter was down 5.3% on a year-over-year basis. Research analysts forecast 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. Shareholders 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 annualized dividend and a yield of 4.55%. United Parcel Service’s payout ratio is 94.49%.

Institutional Trading of United Parcel Service

Several institutional investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in UPS. International Assets Investment Management LLC raised its stake in shares of United Parcel Service by 15,631.2% during the fourth 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 acquiring an additional 14,410,073 shares during the last quarter. Wellington Management Group LLP raised its stake in shares of United Parcel Service by 87.6% during the fourth quarter. Wellington Management Group LLP now owns 18,152,900 shares of the transportation company’s stock valued at $2,854,180,000 after acquiring an additional 8,475,698 shares during the last quarter. Norges Bank bought a new position in shares of United Parcel Service during the fourth quarter valued at about $1,128,322,000. First Trust Advisors LP raised its stake in shares of United Parcel Service by 208.1% during the fourth quarter. First Trust Advisors LP now owns 1,717,391 shares of the transportation company’s stock valued at $270,025,000 after acquiring an additional 1,160,005 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Spirepoint Private Client LLC bought a new position in shares of United Parcel Service during the first quarter valued at about $160,787,000. 60.26% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

About United Parcel Service

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.