Villere ST Denis J & Co. LLC Reduces Position in United Parcel Service, Inc. $UPS

Villere ST Denis J & Co. LLC trimmed its position in United Parcel Service, Inc. (NYSE:UPS) by 3.2% during the first quarter, Holdings Channel.com reports. The firm owned 156,850 shares of the transportation company’s stock after selling 5,147 shares during the period. Villere ST Denis J & Co. LLC’s holdings in United Parcel Service were worth $15,431,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

A number of other institutional investors and hedge funds have also recently modified their holdings of UPS. University of Texas Texas AM Investment Management Co. acquired a new stake in United Parcel Service in the fourth quarter valued at $25,000. IFC & Insurance Marketing Inc. acquired a new position in shares of United Parcel Service during the 4th quarter worth about $25,000. Coston McIsaac & Partners increased its holdings in shares of United Parcel Service by 77.8% in the 4th quarter. Coston McIsaac & Partners now owns 272 shares of the transportation company’s stock valued at $27,000 after acquiring an additional 119 shares during the last quarter. Torren Management LLC purchased a new position in shares of United Parcel Service in the 4th quarter valued at about $29,000. Finally, Kemnay Advisory Services Inc. acquired a new stake in shares of United Parcel Service during the 4th quarter worth about $29,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 60.26% of the company’s stock.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

Several equities research analysts recently weighed in on UPS shares. Weiss Ratings cut United Parcel Service from a “hold (c)” rating to a “sell (d+)” rating in a research note on Friday, May 8th. Susquehanna raised their price objective on shares of United Parcel Service from $116.00 to $118.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a report on Wednesday, April 29th. Evercore reduced their price objective on shares of United Parcel Service from $115.00 to $113.00 and set an “in-line” rating for the company in a research report on Wednesday, April 22nd. UBS Group lowered their target price on shares of United Parcel Service from $125.00 to $123.00 and set a “buy” rating for the company in a report on Wednesday, April 29th. Finally, Stephens raised shares of United Parcel Service to a “strong-buy” rating in a research report on Wednesday. Two equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, seven have issued a Buy rating, ten have given a Hold rating and four have given a Sell rating to the company. According to MarketBeat, the stock has an average rating of “Hold” and an average price target of $111.10.

More United Parcel Service News

Here are the key news stories impacting United Parcel Service this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Citigroup raised its price target on UPS to $132 and reiterated a buy rating, while Stephens upgraded the stock to strong-buy, signaling Wall Street sees more upside. Article Title
• Positive Sentiment: UPS was added to the Russell 1000 Value Defensive and Russell 1000 Defensive indexes, which can support demand from index-focused investors and highlight the stock’s defensive appeal. Article Title
• Positive Sentiment: Unusually heavy call option buying suggests traders are positioning for continued gains in UPS shares.
• Positive Sentiment: Several articles pointed to UPS’s strong earnings-beat history and growing investor attention ahead of the next quarterly report, reinforcing expectations for another solid print. Article Title
• Neutral Sentiment: UPS is reshaping its network, likely as part of ongoing operational efficiency efforts, but the article did not indicate an immediate material financial impact. Article Title
• Neutral Sentiment: UPS and FedEx remaining top logistics companies by market cap is a reminder of the company’s scale, but this is more a sector ranking than a stock-moving catalyst. Article Title
• Negative Sentiment: The U.S. Postal Service Inspector General flagged UPS’s air cargo contract with USPS, urging a re-evaluation over volume-guarantee risks and even possible termination if issues are not addressed, which adds uncertainty around parcel volumes and contract revenue. Article Title

United Parcel Service Stock Performance

UPS traded up $1.88 during trading on Friday, hitting $112.61. 3,408,694 shares of the stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 4,506,363. The company has a quick ratio of 1.21, a current ratio of 1.21 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.50. United Parcel Service, Inc. has a 1-year low of $82.00 and a 1-year high of $122.41. The stock has a fifty day moving average price of $105.35 and a two-hundred day moving average price of $105.59. The firm has a market capitalization of $95.72 billion, a P/E ratio of 18.22, a PEG ratio of 1.76 and a beta of 1.05.

United Parcel Service (NYSE:UPS) last announced its earnings results on Tuesday, April 28th. The transportation company reported $1.07 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.02 by $0.05. The business had revenue of $21.20 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $20.99 billion. United Parcel Service had a net margin of 5.94% and a return on equity of 35.95%. The company’s revenue for the quarter was down 1.4% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period last year, the firm posted $1.49 earnings per share. As a group, sell-side analysts predict that United Parcel Service, Inc. will post 7.11 earnings per share for the current year.

United Parcel Service Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Thursday, June 4th. Shareholders of record on Monday, May 18th were given a dividend of $1.64 per share. This represents a $6.56 annualized dividend and a yield of 5.8%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Monday, May 18th. United Parcel Service’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 106.15%.

United Parcel Service Profile

United Parcel Service (NYSE: UPS) is a global package delivery and supply chain management company that provides a broad range of transportation, logistics and e-commerce services. Its core business centers on small-package delivery and last-mile distribution for business and individual customers, supported by a network of ground transportation, air cargo operations (UPS Airlines) and sorting facilities. In addition to parcel delivery, UPS offers freight transportation, contract logistics, warehousing, customs brokerage and reverse-logistics solutions designed to support domestic and international commerce.

The company traces its roots to 1907 when it began as a small messenger service in the United States and later evolved into the United Parcel Service.