United Parcel Service (NYSE:UPS) Trading 0.3% Higher – Here’s What Happened

Shares of United Parcel Service, Inc. (NYSE:UPS) rose 0.3% during trading on Tuesday . The stock traded as high as $136.99 and last traded at $136.64. Approximately 658,749 shares traded hands during trading, a decline of 84% from the average daily volume of 4,235,685 shares. The stock had previously closed at $136.26.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

UPS has been the topic of a number of research analyst reports. JPMorgan Chase & Co. increased their price objective on shares of United Parcel Service from $134.00 to $135.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a report on Tuesday, January 7th. BMO Capital Markets raised shares of United Parcel Service from a “market perform” rating to an “outperform” rating and lowered their target price for the company from $155.00 to $150.00 in a research note on Tuesday, December 10th. Wells Fargo & Company lowered their price objective on shares of United Parcel Service from $155.00 to $150.00 and set an “overweight” rating for the company in a research report on Tuesday, January 7th. Evercore ISI upped their price target on shares of United Parcel Service from $141.00 to $147.00 and gave the company an “in-line” rating in a report on Wednesday, January 22nd. Finally, Stifel Nicolaus decreased their price objective on United Parcel Service from $156.00 to $153.00 and set a “buy” rating for the company in a report on Thursday, January 23rd. Two equities research analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, five have issued a hold rating, fifteen have issued a buy rating and two have issued a strong buy rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the stock presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $151.24.

United Parcel Service Stock Performance

The company has a current ratio of 1.14, a quick ratio of 1.14 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.20. The company has a market cap of $98.09 billion, a P/E ratio of 17.36, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.86 and a beta of 1.00. The company has a 50 day moving average price of $129.05 and a 200-day moving average price of $130.72.

United Parcel Service (NYSE:UPS) last posted its earnings results on Thursday, January 30th. The transportation company reported $2.75 EPS for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $2.52 by $0.23. United Parcel Service had a net margin of 6.25% and a return on equity of 37.38%. During the same period in the previous year, the company earned $2.47 earnings per share. On average, equities analysts expect that United Parcel Service, Inc. will post 7.49 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

United Parcel Service Dividend Announcement

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Thursday, December 5th. Stockholders of record on Monday, November 18th were issued a dividend of $1.63 per share. This represents a $6.52 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 5.67%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Monday, November 18th. United Parcel Service’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 98.49%.

Insider Transactions at United Parcel Service

In other United Parcel Service news, insider Norman M. Brothers, Jr. sold 7,325 shares of the stock in a transaction dated 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 completion of the sale, the insider now directly owns 45,098 shares in the company, valued at approximately $6,249,229.86. This trade represents a 13.97 % decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is accessible through this link. 0.13% of the stock is owned by company insiders.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On United Parcel Service

Institutional investors and hedge funds have recently modified their holdings of the business. Cigna Investments Inc. New boosted its position in shares of United Parcel Service by 1.0% during the third quarter. Cigna Investments Inc. New now owns 7,508 shares of the transportation company’s stock valued at $1,024,000 after buying an additional 75 shares during the last quarter. Pacific Sage Partners LLC grew its stake in shares of United Parcel Service by 4.8% in the 4th quarter. Pacific Sage Partners LLC now owns 1,677 shares of the transportation company’s stock worth $212,000 after acquiring an additional 77 shares in the last quarter. Banco Santander S.A. raised its holdings in shares of United Parcel Service by 0.6% in the third quarter. Banco Santander S.A. now owns 12,596 shares of the transportation company’s stock valued at $1,717,000 after purchasing an additional 79 shares during the last quarter. Gleason Group Inc. lifted its position in shares of United Parcel Service by 1.2% during the third quarter. Gleason Group Inc. now owns 6,576 shares of the transportation company’s stock valued at $897,000 after purchasing an additional 80 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Quent Capital LLC grew its position in United Parcel Service by 16.7% in the 4th quarter. Quent Capital LLC now owns 558 shares of the transportation company’s stock worth $70,000 after purchasing an additional 80 shares in 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.