United Parcel Service (NYSE:UPS) Trading Up 1.7%

Shares of United Parcel Service, Inc. (NYSE:UPS) shot up 1.7% on Tuesday . The company traded as high as $131.13 and last traded at $131.10. 690,576 shares were traded during mid-day trading, a decline of 84% from the average session volume of 4,226,954 shares. The stock had previously closed at $128.91.

Analyst Ratings Changes

A number of research firms recently issued reports on UPS. BMO Capital Markets decreased their price target on shares of United Parcel Service from $169.00 to $155.00 and set a “market perform” rating on the stock in a research note on Wednesday, July 24th. Wells Fargo & Company reduced their target price on shares of United Parcel Service from $156.00 to $134.00 and set an “overweight” rating on the stock in a research note on Wednesday, July 24th. UBS Group dropped their target price on shares of United Parcel Service from $175.00 to $159.00 and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a research note on Wednesday, July 24th. Oppenheimer dropped their price target on United Parcel Service from $157.00 to $140.00 and set an “outperform” rating on the stock in a research report on Wednesday, July 24th. Finally, Evercore ISI reduced their price objective on shares of United Parcel Service from $157.00 to $145.00 and set an “in-line” rating for the company in a research note on Monday, June 24th. One analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, eleven have given a hold rating, eight have given a buy rating and two have assigned a strong buy rating to the company. According to MarketBeat, United Parcel Service currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $149.68.

United Parcel Service Stock Performance

The stock has a market capitalization of $111.66 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 19.00, a P/E/G ratio of 1.89 and a beta of 0.99. The company has a current ratio of 1.25, a quick ratio of 1.25 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.18. The firm has a 50-day moving average of $130.75 and a 200-day moving average of $139.74.

United Parcel Service (NYSE:UPS) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, July 23rd. The transportation company reported $1.79 earnings per share for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $1.99 by ($0.20). United Parcel Service had a net margin of 5.87% and a return on equity of 35.27%. The firm had revenue of $21.82 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $22.17 billion. During the same quarter in the previous year, the firm posted $2.54 EPS. The firm’s revenue for the quarter was down 1.1% compared to the same quarter last year. As a group, sell-side analysts predict that United Parcel Service, Inc. will post 7.43 earnings per share for the current year.

United Parcel Service Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Thursday, September 5th. Shareholders of record on Monday, August 19th were paid a dividend of $1.63 per share. This represents a $6.52 annualized dividend and a yield of 5.00%. The ex-dividend date was Monday, August 19th. United Parcel Service’s payout ratio is 94.49%.

Insider Activity

In related news, Director William R. Johnson purchased 5,000 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction on Thursday, July 25th. The shares were bought at an average cost of $128.61 per share, with a total value of $643,050.00. Following the transaction, the director now owns 5,160 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $663,627.60. The acquisition was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this link. Insiders own 0.13% of the company’s stock.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On United Parcel Service

Institutional investors have recently made changes to their positions in the company. Cullen Investment Group LTD. grew its position in shares of United Parcel Service by 0.7% during the first quarter. Cullen Investment Group LTD. now owns 9,921 shares of the transportation company’s stock worth $1,480,000 after acquiring an additional 68 shares during the last quarter. Blackston Financial Advisory Group LLC grew its position in United Parcel Service by 1.4% during the 2nd quarter. Blackston Financial Advisory Group LLC now owns 5,068 shares of the transportation company’s stock worth $694,000 after purchasing an additional 69 shares during the last quarter. Versant Capital Management Inc increased its stake in United Parcel Service by 2.2% in the first quarter. Versant Capital Management Inc now owns 3,212 shares of the transportation company’s stock valued at $477,000 after purchasing an additional 70 shares during the period. Moody National Bank Trust Division raised its holdings in shares of United Parcel Service by 0.8% in the first quarter. Moody National Bank Trust Division now owns 9,113 shares of the transportation company’s stock valued at $1,354,000 after buying an additional 71 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Cornerstone Wealth Management LLC boosted its stake in shares of United Parcel Service by 0.9% during the first quarter. Cornerstone Wealth Management LLC now owns 8,538 shares of the transportation company’s stock worth $1,269,000 after buying an additional 73 shares during the period. 60.26% of the stock is 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.