United Parcel Service (NYSE:UPS) Upgraded at Wall Street Zen

Wall Street Zen upgraded shares of United Parcel Service (NYSE:UPS) from a hold rating to a buy rating in a report published on Saturday morning,Wall Street Zen reports.

A number of other research firms have also issued reports on UPS. Oppenheimer upped their target price on shares of United Parcel Service from $117.00 to $119.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a report on Wednesday, October 28th. Stephens decreased their price target on shares of United Parcel Service from $135.00 to $130.00 and set an “overweight” rating on the stock in a research note on Wednesday, July 29th. TD Cowen boosted their price target on shares of United Parcel Service from $115.00 to $116.00 and gave the stock a “hold” rating in a research report on Wednesday, October 28th. The Goldman Sachs Group upped their price objective on shares of United Parcel Service from $128.00 to $132.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research note on Wednesday, July 29th. Finally, BNP Paribas Exane dropped their price objective on shares of United Parcel Service from $90.00 to $85.00 and set an “underperform” rating for the company in a research note on Wednesday, September 30th. One research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, eleven have issued a Buy rating, eleven have issued a Hold rating and two have given a Sell rating to the company’s stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, United Parcel Service presently has an average rating of “Hold” and an average price target of $118.45.

United Parcel Service Stock Up 1.3%

Shares of UPS opened at $109.65 on Friday. The stock has a 50 day moving average price of $99.34 and a 200 day moving average price of $104.65. United Parcel Service has a one year low of $90.84 and a one year high of $122.41. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.67, a quick ratio of 1.18 and a current ratio of 1.24. The stock has a market capitalization of $93.29 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 15.31, a PEG ratio of 1.89 and a beta of 1.07.

United Parcel Service (NYSE:UPS) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, October 27th. The transportation company reported $1.69 earnings per share for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.62 by $0.07. The company had revenue of $22.90 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $22.27 billion. United Parcel Service had a return on equity of 37.78% and a net margin of 4.84%. The firm’s revenue for the quarter was up 6.9% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter last year, the firm posted $1.74 EPS. Equities research analysts forecast that United Parcel Service will post 7.28 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

United Parcel Service Announces Dividend

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Thursday, September 3rd. Stockholders of record on Monday, August 17th were given a dividend of $1.64 per share. This represents a $6.56 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 6.0%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Monday, August 17th. United Parcel Service’s payout ratio is presently 126.15%.

Insider Activity at United Parcel Service

In related news, insider Matthew Guffey sold 8,318 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, October 28th. The stock was sold at an average price of $105.39, for a total value of $876,634.02. Following the transaction, the insider directly owned 271 shares in the company, valued at approximately $28,560.69. This represents a 96.84% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is accessible through this link. Insiders own 0.19% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On United Parcel Service

Several hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in UPS. Sigma Planning Corp raised its position in United Parcel Service by 37.1% in the 1st quarter. Sigma Planning Corp now owns 36,722 shares of the transportation company’s stock valued at $3,613,000 after purchasing an additional 9,941 shares in the last quarter. First Trust Advisors LP boosted its stake in shares of United Parcel Service by 37.4% in the 1st quarter. First Trust Advisors LP now owns 3,631,133 shares of the transportation company’s stock valued at $357,231,000 after buying an additional 988,442 shares during the period. Candriam S.C.A. boosted its stake in shares of United Parcel Service by 29.6% in the 1st quarter. Candriam S.C.A. now owns 91,015 shares of the transportation company’s stock valued at $8,954,000 after buying an additional 20,791 shares during the period. National Pension Service boosted its stake in shares of United Parcel Service by 1.5% in the 2nd quarter. National Pension Service now owns 2,379,189 shares of the transportation company’s stock valued at $255,763,000 after buying an additional 36,099 shares during the period. Finally, D.A. Davidson & CO. grew its position in shares of United Parcel Service by 24.9% during the first quarter. D.A. Davidson & CO. now owns 161,007 shares of the transportation company’s stock worth $15,840,000 after buying an additional 32,090 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 60.26% of the company’s stock.

United Parcel Service Company Profile

United Parcel Service, Inc (NYSE: UPS) is a global package delivery and logistics company. Its services include the transportation and delivery of packages and freight, time-definite express delivery, supply chain management, customs brokerage, and logistics consulting. UPS serves businesses and consumers through ground, air, and international delivery networks.

The company operates across the United States and in international markets throughout Europe, Asia-Pacific, Latin America, Canada, and other regions.