Universal Logistics (NASDAQ:ULH) Rating Increased to Hold at Zacks Research

Zacks Research upgraded shares of Universal Logistics (NASDAQ:ULH) from a strong sell rating to a hold rating in a research report report published on Monday,Zacks reports.

A number of other brokerages have also issued reports on ULH. Wall Street Zen upgraded shares of Universal Logistics from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a research note on Saturday, August 15th. Weiss Ratings reiterated a “sell (d)” rating on shares of Universal Logistics in a research note on Wednesday, June 24th. Finally, Stifel Nicolaus dropped their price objective on shares of Universal Logistics from $17.00 to $15.00 and set a “hold” rating on the stock in a report on Wednesday, July 15th. Two investment analysts have rated the stock with a Hold rating and one has assigned a Sell rating to the company’s stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has a consensus rating of “Reduce” and a consensus price target of $15.00.

Universal Logistics Trading Down 0.2%

Universal Logistics stock opened at $18.85 on Monday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.06, a quick ratio of 1.20 and a current ratio of 1.20. The stock has a market cap of $497.07 million, a PE ratio of -10.24 and a beta of 0.75. The stock has a 50-day moving average of $17.42 and a two-hundred day moving average of $17.48. Universal Logistics has a one year low of $11.73 and a one year high of $25.83.

Universal Logistics (NASDAQ:ULH) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Friday, July 31st. The transportation company reported $0.16 earnings per share for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.13 by $0.03. The business had revenue of $379.32 million for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $380.40 million. Universal Logistics had a positive return on equity of 1.99% and a negative net margin of 3.16%. On average, research analysts anticipate that Universal Logistics will post 0.5 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Universal Logistics Announces Dividend

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, October 1st. Shareholders of record on Tuesday, September 1st will be given a dividend of $0.105 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Tuesday, September 1st. This represents a $0.42 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 2.2%. Universal Logistics’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently -22.83%.

Institutional Trading of Universal Logistics

Several large investors have recently made changes to their positions in the business. BlackRock Inc. purchased a new position in shares of Universal Logistics during the second quarter worth $8,082,000. Bank of New York Mellon Corp purchased a new stake in Universal Logistics in the second quarter valued at $2,770,000. Empowered Funds LLC acquired a new stake in Universal Logistics during the 2nd quarter worth about $1,423,000. Quantinno Capital Management LP grew its position in Universal Logistics by 118.9% during the 1st quarter. Quantinno Capital Management LP now owns 37,766 shares of the transportation company’s stock worth $798,000 after purchasing an additional 20,511 shares during the period. Finally, Deutsche Bank AG acquired a new stake in Universal Logistics during the 2nd quarter worth about $75,000. 25.50% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

About Universal Logistics

Universal Logistics Holdings, Inc (NASDAQ: ULH) is a transportation and logistics company headquartered in Warren, Michigan. Through its operating subsidiaries, the company provides customized supply chain and freight services to manufacturers, retailers, and other commercial customers.

Universal’s services include contract carriage, dedicated transportation, truckload and brokerage operations, intermodal transportation, and final-mile delivery. The company also provides value-added logistics services, such as material handling, warehousing, sequencing, assembly, and other support for manufacturing and distribution operations.

The company serves customers across the United States, Canada, and Mexico, with a significant focus on the automotive and industrial sectors.