United Parcel Service (NYSE:UPS) Stock Price Down 0.4% – Time to Sell?

United Parcel Service, Inc. (NYSE:UPS)’s stock price traded down 0.4% during mid-day trading on Thursday . The stock traded as low as $135.02 and last traded at $135.36. 320,137 shares were traded during mid-day trading, a decline of 92% from the average session volume of 4,174,407 shares. The stock had previously closed at $135.84.

Analyst Ratings Changes

A number of analysts recently commented on the company. Susquehanna dropped their price objective on United Parcel Service from $160.00 to $135.00 and set a “neutral” rating for the company in a research report on Wednesday, July 24th. TD Cowen assumed coverage on shares of United Parcel Service in a research report on Thursday, August 22nd. They issued a “hold” rating and a $144.00 price objective for the company. The Goldman Sachs Group decreased their target price on shares of United Parcel Service from $165.00 to $162.00 and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a research report on Wednesday, October 9th. Robert W. Baird lowered their target price on shares of United Parcel Service from $170.00 to $160.00 and set an “outperform” rating for the company in a research note on Wednesday, July 24th. Finally, BMO Capital Markets reduced their price target on 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. One analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, ten have issued a hold rating, ten have given a buy rating and two have issued a strong buy rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the stock currently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $151.24.

United Parcel Service Stock Up 0.4 %

The company has a market capitalization of $116.44 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 22.18, a P/E/G ratio of 1.98 and a beta of 0.99. 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 price of $130.21 and a two-hundred day moving average price of $136.66.

United Parcel Service (NYSE:UPS) last posted its quarterly earnings data 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). The business had revenue of $21.82 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $22.17 billion. United Parcel Service had a return on equity of 35.27% and a net margin of 5.87%. United Parcel Service’s revenue for the quarter was down 1.1% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter in the prior year, the firm earned $2.54 earnings per share. As a group, sell-side analysts expect that United Parcel Service, Inc. will post 7.43 earnings per share for the current year.

United Parcel Service Dividend Announcement

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Thursday, September 5th. Shareholders of record on Monday, August 19th were issued a dividend of $1.63 per share. This represents a $6.52 annualized dividend and a yield of 4.80%. The ex-dividend date was Monday, August 19th. United Parcel Service’s dividend payout ratio is currently 106.36%.

Insider Transactions at United Parcel Service

In other news, Director William R. Johnson purchased 5,000 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, July 25th. The stock was acquired at an average cost of $128.61 per share, for a total transaction of $643,050.00. Following the completion of the purchase, the director now owns 5,160 shares of the company’s stock, 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 legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through the SEC website. Insiders own 0.13% of the company’s stock.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On United Parcel Service

Several large investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Natixis bought a new position in shares of United Parcel Service in the 1st quarter worth about $121,000. Cohen Investment Advisors LLC boosted its stake in United Parcel Service by 26.4% in the third quarter. Cohen Investment Advisors LLC now owns 18,357 shares of the transportation company’s stock valued at $2,503,000 after acquiring an additional 3,835 shares during the period. Financial Partners Group LLC boosted its stake in United Parcel Service by 23.9% in the second quarter. Financial Partners Group LLC now owns 26,319 shares of the transportation company’s stock valued at $3,602,000 after acquiring an additional 5,069 shares during the period. Envestnet Portfolio Solutions Inc. raised its position in shares of United Parcel Service by 12.3% during the 1st quarter. Envestnet Portfolio Solutions Inc. now owns 59,567 shares of the transportation company’s stock worth $8,853,000 after purchasing an additional 6,502 shares during the period. Finally, Nvwm LLC lifted its holdings in shares of United Parcel Service by 3.7% in the 1st quarter. Nvwm LLC now owns 2,685 shares of the transportation company’s stock worth $399,000 after purchasing an additional 96 shares during the last quarter. 60.26% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

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.