Harbor Investment Advisory LLC Sells 1,243 Shares of United Parcel Service, Inc. (NYSE:UPS)

Harbor Investment Advisory LLC decreased its holdings in shares of United Parcel Service, Inc. (NYSE:UPS) by 34.7% in the 4th quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the SEC. The firm owned 2,340 shares of the transportation company’s stock after selling 1,243 shares during the period. Harbor Investment Advisory LLC’s holdings in United Parcel Service were worth $295,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Other large investors also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Principal Financial Group Inc. boosted its stake in United Parcel Service by 4.3% during the third quarter. Principal Financial Group Inc. now owns 829,280 shares of the transportation company’s stock valued at $113,064,000 after buying an additional 33,989 shares during the period. Synovus Financial Corp boosted its stake in United Parcel Service by 8.6% during the third quarter. Synovus Financial Corp now owns 87,531 shares of the transportation company’s stock valued at $11,934,000 after buying an additional 6,941 shares during the period. Van ECK Associates Corp boosted its stake in United Parcel Service by 1,061.1% during the third quarter. Van ECK Associates Corp now owns 1,772,765 shares of the transportation company’s stock valued at $232,959,000 after buying an additional 1,620,091 shares during the period. HF Advisory Group LLC bought a new stake in United Parcel Service during the fourth quarter valued at $1,305,000. Finally, Cohen Investment Advisors LLC boosted its stake in United Parcel Service by 26.4% during the third quarter. Cohen Investment Advisors LLC now owns 18,357 shares of the transportation company’s stock valued at $2,503,000 after buying an additional 3,835 shares during the period. Institutional investors own 60.26% of the company’s stock.

United Parcel Service Stock Down 0.2 %

Shares of NYSE:UPS opened at $132.59 on Thursday. United Parcel Service, Inc. has a 1 year low of $121.56 and a 1 year high of $161.35. The company has a market cap of $113.15 billion, a PE ratio of 20.03, a P/E/G ratio of 1.82 and a beta of 1.00. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.20, a current ratio of 1.14 and a quick ratio of 1.14. The stock’s 50-day moving average is $128.97 and its 200 day moving average is $130.81.

United Parcel Service (NYSE:UPS) last posted its earnings results on Thursday, October 24th. The transportation company reported $1.76 earnings per share for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.63 by $0.13. United Parcel Service had a return on equity of 37.38% and a net margin of 6.25%. The firm had revenue of $22.20 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $22.10 billion. During the same quarter in the prior year, the business earned $1.57 EPS. The business’s revenue for the quarter was up 5.4% on a year-over-year basis. Sell-side analysts anticipate that United Parcel Service, Inc. will post 7.49 EPS for the current year.

United Parcel Service Dividend Announcement

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Thursday, December 5th. Shareholders of record on Monday, November 18th were issued a dividend of $1.63 per share. The ex-dividend date was Monday, November 18th. This represents a $6.52 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 4.92%. United Parcel Service’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 98.49%.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other United Parcel Service news, insider Norman M. Brothers, Jr. sold 7,325 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, November 25th. The stock was sold at an average price of $138.57, for a total transaction of $1,015,025.25. Following the transaction, the insider now owns 45,098 shares in the company, valued at approximately $6,249,229.86. This represents a 13.97 % decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through the SEC website. Company insiders own 0.13% of the company’s stock.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

Several equities research analysts have issued reports on the company. The Goldman Sachs Group dropped their price target 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. Bank of America raised United Parcel Service from a “neutral” rating to a “buy” rating and set a $150.00 price target for the company in a research note on Thursday, January 16th. Susquehanna lifted their price target on United Parcel Service from $135.00 to $140.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a research note on Friday, October 25th. Wolfe Research raised United Parcel Service from a “peer perform” rating to an “outperform” rating and set a $147.00 price target for the company in a research note on Wednesday, January 8th. Finally, JPMorgan Chase & Co. lifted their price target on United Parcel Service from $134.00 to $135.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a research note on Tuesday, January 7th. Two analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, five have issued a hold rating, fifteen have assigned a buy rating and two have given a strong buy rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $151.38.

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.