Argent Trust Co Buys 4,440 Shares of United Parcel Service, Inc. (NYSE:UPS)

Argent Trust Co raised its stake in United Parcel Service, Inc. (NYSE:UPS) by 8.1% in the second quarter, Holdings Channel reports. The fund owned 59,098 shares of the transportation company’s stock after purchasing an additional 4,440 shares during the quarter. Argent Trust Co’s holdings in United Parcel Service were worth $8,088,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

A number of other institutional investors and hedge funds have also recently made changes to their positions in the stock. Pineridge Advisors LLC bought a new position in United Parcel Service in the 4th quarter valued at approximately $31,000. Security National Bank bought a new position in United Parcel Service in the 4th quarter valued at approximately $31,000. TruNorth Capital Management LLC bought a new position in United Parcel Service in the 2nd quarter valued at approximately $28,000. Stephens Consulting LLC raised its holdings in United Parcel Service by 869.6% in the 1st quarter. Stephens Consulting LLC now owns 223 shares of the transportation company’s stock valued at $33,000 after buying an additional 200 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Riverview Trust Co bought a new position in United Parcel Service in the 2nd quarter valued at approximately $32,000. Institutional investors own 60.26% of the company’s stock.

United Parcel Service Stock Performance

Shares of UPS stock opened at $130.70 on Wednesday. The company has a market cap of $111.82 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 18.94, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.89 and a beta of 0.99. United Parcel Service, Inc. has a 52 week low of $123.12 and a 52 week high of $163.82. The company has a quick ratio of 1.25, a current ratio of 1.25 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.18. The firm has a 50 day moving average of $130.68 and a 200-day moving average of $139.62.

United Parcel Service (NYSE:UPS) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, July 23rd. The transportation company reported $1.79 earnings per share (EPS) 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 business had revenue of $21.82 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $22.17 billion. During the same period in the previous year, the business posted $2.54 EPS. The business’s revenue for the quarter was down 1.1% compared to the same quarter last year. On average, equities analysts forecast 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 declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Thursday, September 5th. Investors of record on Monday, August 19th were given a $1.63 dividend. This represents a $6.52 annualized dividend and a yield of 4.99%. The ex-dividend date was Monday, August 19th. United Parcel Service’s payout ratio is currently 94.49%.

Insider Activity at United Parcel Service

In other United Parcel Service news, Director William R. Johnson purchased 5,000 shares of United Parcel Service stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, July 25th. The stock was acquired at an average price of $128.61 per share, with a total value of $643,050.00. Following the transaction, the director now owns 5,160 shares in the company, valued at approximately $663,627.60. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this link. 0.13% of the stock is currently owned by insiders.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

A number of brokerages recently issued reports on UPS. Stephens dropped their price objective on shares of United Parcel Service from $168.00 to $140.00 and set an “equal weight” rating for the company in a report on Wednesday, July 24th. Susquehanna dropped their price objective on shares of United Parcel Service from $160.00 to $135.00 and set a “neutral” rating for the company in a report on Wednesday, July 24th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. decreased their target price on shares of United Parcel Service from $150.00 to $144.00 and set a “neutral” rating for the company in a research report on Wednesday, July 24th. Wells Fargo & Company decreased their target price on shares of United Parcel Service from $156.00 to $134.00 and set an “overweight” rating for the company in a research report on Wednesday, July 24th. Finally, UBS Group decreased their target price on shares of United Parcel Service from $175.00 to $159.00 and set a “buy” rating for the company in a research report on Wednesday, July 24th. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, eleven have given a hold rating, eight have issued a buy rating and two have assigned a strong buy rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the stock currently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $149.68.

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.