United Parcel Service (NYSE:UPS) Stock Price Down 1.1% – Here’s What Happened

United Parcel Service, Inc. (NYSE:UPS) shares were down 1.1% on Friday . The stock traded as low as $115.39 and last traded at $115.35. Approximately 1,426,478 shares changed hands during trading, a decline of 78% from the average daily volume of 6,480,926 shares. The stock had previously closed at $116.60.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several research analysts have commented on the stock. Wolfe Research upgraded shares of United Parcel Service from a “peer perform” rating to an “outperform” rating and set a $147.00 price target for the company in a report on Wednesday, January 8th. Bank of America lowered their price target on shares of United Parcel Service from $150.00 to $133.00 and set a “buy” rating for the company in a report on Friday, January 31st. BMO Capital Markets upgraded shares of United Parcel Service from a “market perform” rating to an “outperform” rating and lowered their price target for the stock from $155.00 to $150.00 in a report on Tuesday, December 10th. Loop Capital lowered their price target on shares of United Parcel Service from $120.00 to $115.00 and set a “hold” rating for the company in a report on Monday, February 3rd. Finally, Argus upgraded shares of United Parcel Service from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a report on Tuesday, November 5th. Two investment analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, eight have issued a hold rating, fourteen have given a buy rating and one has given a strong buy rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat, the stock currently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $140.73.

United Parcel Service Stock Performance

The stock has a market cap of $99.11 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 17.19, a PEG ratio of 1.52 and a beta of 0.98. The company has a current ratio of 1.17, a quick ratio of 1.14 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.16. The stock’s 50 day moving average is $123.46 and its two-hundred day moving average is $128.40.

United Parcel Service (NYSE:UPS) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, January 30th. The transportation company reported $2.75 EPS for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $2.52 by $0.23. United Parcel Service had a net margin of 6.35% and a return on equity of 39.13%. During the same period last year, the business earned $2.47 EPS. Analysts anticipate that United Parcel Service, Inc. will post 7.95 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

United Parcel Service Increases Dividend

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, March 6th. Investors of record on Tuesday, February 18th will be paid a $1.64 dividend. This represents a $6.56 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 5.65%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Tuesday, February 18th. This is a positive change from United Parcel Service’s previous quarterly dividend of $1.63. United Parcel Service’s payout ratio is 97.04%.

Insider Buying and Selling

In related news, insider Norman M. Brothers, Jr. sold 7,325 shares of United Parcel Service stock in a transaction on Monday, November 25th. The shares were sold at an average price of $138.57, for a total value of $1,015,025.25. Following the completion of the sale, the insider now owns 45,098 shares in the company, valued at approximately $6,249,229.86. The trade was a 13.97 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this link. Insiders own 0.13% of the company’s stock.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On United Parcel Service

A number of hedge funds have recently added to or reduced their stakes in UPS. International Assets Investment Management LLC boosted its holdings in United Parcel Service by 15,779.6% in the third quarter. International Assets Investment Management LLC now owns 14,631,461 shares of the transportation company’s stock worth $1,994,853,000 after purchasing an additional 14,539,321 shares during the period. Norges Bank acquired a new position in United Parcel Service in the fourth quarter worth $1,075,393,000. Raymond James Financial Inc. acquired a new position in United Parcel Service in the fourth quarter worth $393,680,000. Two Sigma Advisers LP boosted its holdings in United Parcel Service by 833.4% in the third quarter. Two Sigma Advisers LP now owns 2,074,100 shares of the transportation company’s stock worth $282,783,000 after purchasing an additional 1,851,900 shares during the period. Finally, Van ECK Associates Corp boosted its holdings in shares of 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 acquiring an additional 1,620,091 shares during the period. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 60.26% of the company’s stock.

United Parcel Service Company Profile

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.