Ultrapar Participacoes (NYSE:UGP) Sets New 52-Week High – Time to Buy?

Ultrapar Participacoes S.A. (NYSE:UGP) hit a new 52-week high during mid-day trading on Friday . The stock traded as high as $4.41 and last traded at $4.3750, with a volume of 476 shares. The stock had previously closed at $4.36.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

A number of equities research analysts have recently commented on UGP shares. Zacks Research upgraded shares of Ultrapar Participacoes from a “hold” rating to a “strong-buy” rating in a report on Monday, September 29th. The Goldman Sachs Group upped their price objective on Ultrapar Participacoes from $4.00 to $4.50 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research report on Friday, September 26th. Wall Street Zen raised Ultrapar Participacoes from a “hold” rating to a “strong-buy” rating in a report on Friday, August 22nd. Finally, Weiss Ratings reaffirmed a “hold (c)” rating on shares of Ultrapar Participacoes in a report on Tuesday, November 25th. Three research analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, three have assigned a Buy rating and one has issued a Hold rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat, Ultrapar Participacoes presently has a consensus rating of “Buy” and a consensus target price of $4.50.

Ultrapar Participacoes Stock Up 0.3%

The company has a quick ratio of 1.40, a current ratio of 1.83 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.83. The company has a market cap of $4.88 billion, a PE ratio of 9.31, a PEG ratio of 2.02 and a beta of 0.89. The company’s fifty day moving average is $4.02 and its 200-day moving average is $3.53.

Ultrapar Participacoes Announces Dividend

The company also recently disclosed a special dividend, which will be paid on Friday, December 26th. Investors of record on Friday, December 12th will be issued a $0.1876 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, December 12th. Ultrapar Participacoes’s payout ratio is presently 19.15%.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Several institutional investors and hedge funds have recently bought and sold shares of UGP. Regatta Capital Group LLC bought a new stake in shares of Ultrapar Participacoes during the 2nd quarter valued at about $41,000. Quadrature Capital Ltd purchased a new position in shares of Ultrapar Participacoes in the second quarter worth approximately $45,000. Wealthstream Advisors Inc. bought a new stake in Ultrapar Participacoes during the second quarter valued at approximately $46,000. Inspire Investing LLC purchased a new stake in Ultrapar Participacoes during the first quarter valued at approximately $53,000. Finally, Blue Trust Inc. increased its holdings in Ultrapar Participacoes by 27.6% during the second quarter. Blue Trust Inc. now owns 16,425 shares of the oil and gas company’s stock valued at $54,000 after buying an additional 3,554 shares during the last quarter. 3.58% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

About Ultrapar Participacoes

Ultrapar Participações SA, through its subsidiaries, operates in the energy and infrastructure business in Brazil. The company distributes liquefied petroleum gas to residential, commercial, and industrial consumers, in addition to renewable electricity and compressed natural gas. It also operates in the distribution and marketing of gasoline, ethanol, diesel, fuel oil, kerosene, natural gas for vehicles, and lubricants; and holds AmPm convenience stores and provides JetOil lubricant services.