United Parcel Service (NYSE:UPS) Stock Price Down 1.7% – What’s Next?

United Parcel Service, Inc. (NYSE:UPS)’s share price fell 1.7% during mid-day trading on Monday . The company traded as low as $132.48 and last traded at $133.56. 908,765 shares traded hands during trading, a decline of 78% from the average session volume of 4,170,850 shares. The stock had previously closed at $135.93.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

UPS has been the subject of several research reports. Susquehanna dropped their price target on shares of United Parcel Service from $160.00 to $135.00 and set a “neutral” rating for the company in a research note on Wednesday, July 24th. The Goldman Sachs Group lowered their target price on United Parcel Service from $165.00 to $162.00 and set a “buy” rating for the company in a research note on Wednesday, October 9th. Wells Fargo & Company increased their price target on United Parcel Service from $134.00 to $142.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a research report on Thursday, October 10th. Baird R W raised United Parcel Service to a “strong-buy” rating in a research report on Wednesday, July 24th. Finally, Bank of America cut their target price on shares of United Parcel Service from $160.00 to $158.00 and set a “neutral” rating on the stock in a research note on Monday, July 22nd. Two analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, nine have issued a hold rating, ten have assigned a buy rating and two have given a strong buy rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the company currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $151.05.

United Parcel Service Stock Performance

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 stock has a market cap of $112.56 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 21.45, a PEG ratio of 2.00 and a beta of 0.99. The stock’s 50 day moving average is $130.44 and its two-hundred day moving average is $136.19.

United Parcel Service (NYSE:UPS) last released its earnings results on Tuesday, July 23rd. The transportation company reported $1.79 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing analysts’ consensus estimates 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 company 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 firm posted $2.54 EPS. The company’s revenue for the quarter was down 1.1% on a year-over-year basis. Analysts anticipate that United Parcel Service, Inc. will post 7.44 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

United Parcel Service Dividend Announcement

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Thursday, September 5th. Shareholders of record on Monday, August 19th were given a dividend of $1.63 per share. The ex-dividend date was Monday, August 19th. This represents a $6.52 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 4.96%. United Parcel Service’s payout ratio is currently 106.36%.

Insider Transactions at United Parcel Service

In other news, Director William R. Johnson acquired 5,000 shares of United Parcel Service stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, July 25th. The stock was purchased at an average price of $128.61 per share, for a total transaction of $643,050.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the director now directly owns 5,160 shares in the company, valued at approximately $663,627.60. This trade represents a 3,100.00 % increase in their ownership of the stock. The purchase was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this link. Company insiders own 0.13% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On United Parcel Service

Several institutional investors have recently made changes to their positions in UPS. Blackston Financial Advisory Group LLC lifted its stake in shares of United Parcel Service by 1.4% in the second quarter. Blackston Financial Advisory Group LLC now owns 5,068 shares of the transportation company’s stock valued at $694,000 after purchasing an additional 69 shares during the period. Legacy Wealth Asset Management LLC increased its holdings in United Parcel Service by 2.1% in the first quarter. Legacy Wealth Asset Management LLC now owns 3,490 shares of the transportation company’s stock valued at $519,000 after buying an additional 73 shares in the last quarter. Cornerstone Wealth Management LLC lifted its position in shares of United Parcel Service by 0.9% during the 1st quarter. Cornerstone Wealth Management LLC now owns 8,538 shares of the transportation company’s stock valued at $1,269,000 after acquiring an additional 73 shares during the period. MV Capital Management Inc. boosted its stake in shares of United Parcel Service by 8.6% during the 1st quarter. MV Capital Management Inc. now owns 969 shares of the transportation company’s stock worth $144,000 after acquiring an additional 77 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Gleason Group Inc. grew its holdings in shares of United Parcel Service by 1.2% in the 2nd quarter. Gleason Group Inc. now owns 6,496 shares of the transportation company’s stock worth $889,000 after acquiring an additional 77 shares during the period. 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.