United Parcel Service (NYSE:UPS) Stock Price Up 0.2%

United Parcel Service, Inc. (NYSE:UPS)’s share price rose 0.2% during trading on Friday . The company traded as high as $128.13 and last traded at $127.63. Approximately 582,816 shares changed hands during mid-day trading, a decline of 86% from the average daily volume of 4,243,663 shares. The stock had previously closed at $127.40.

Analyst Ratings Changes

Several equities analysts recently weighed in on UPS shares. JPMorgan Chase & Co. cut their price objective on United Parcel Service from $150.00 to $144.00 and set a “neutral” rating for the company in a research report on Wednesday, July 24th. Wells Fargo & Company reduced their price objective on United Parcel Service from $156.00 to $134.00 and set an “overweight” rating for the company in a research report on Wednesday, July 24th. Barclays dropped their target price on shares of United Parcel Service from $145.00 to $120.00 and set an “equal weight” rating on the stock in a research report on Wednesday, July 24th. Bank of America reduced their price target on shares of United Parcel Service from $160.00 to $158.00 and set a “neutral” rating for the company in a report on Monday, July 22nd. Finally, UBS Group dropped their price objective on shares of United Parcel Service from $175.00 to $159.00 and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a report on Wednesday, July 24th. One research analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, eleven have given a hold rating, nine have given a buy rating and two have issued a strong buy rating to the company’s stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, United Parcel Service presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $151.20.

United Parcel Service Stock Performance

The company has a quick ratio of 1.25, a current ratio of 1.25 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.18. The stock has a market capitalization of $109.12 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 18.48, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.90 and a beta of 0.99. The stock’s 50-day simple moving average is $131.59 and its 200 day simple moving average is $140.63.

United Parcel Service (NYSE:UPS) last released its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, July 23rd. The transportation company reported $1.79 EPS for the quarter, missing analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.99 by ($0.20). United Parcel Service had a return on equity of 35.27% and a net margin of 5.87%. The business had revenue of $21.82 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $22.17 billion. During the same quarter last year, the company earned $2.54 earnings per share. The firm’s revenue was down 1.1% on a year-over-year basis. Analysts expect that United Parcel Service, Inc. will post 7.43 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

United Parcel Service Dividend Announcement

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Thursday, September 5th. Shareholders of record on Monday, August 19th were given a $1.63 dividend. This represents a $6.52 annualized dividend and a yield of 5.11%. The ex-dividend date was Monday, August 19th. United Parcel Service’s payout ratio is presently 94.49%.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In related news, Director William R. Johnson purchased 5,000 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction dated Thursday, July 25th. The shares were acquired at an average cost of $128.61 per share, with a total value of $643,050.00. Following the completion of the purchase, the director now directly owns 5,160 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $663,627.60. The purchase was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this hyperlink. Insiders own 0.13% of the company’s stock.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On United Parcel Service

Several large investors have recently made changes to their positions in UPS. Wellington Management Group LLP boosted its stake in shares of United Parcel Service by 87.6% in the 4th quarter. Wellington Management Group LLP now owns 18,152,900 shares of the transportation company’s stock valued at $2,854,180,000 after purchasing an additional 8,475,698 shares during the last quarter. Norges Bank bought a new position in United Parcel Service in the fourth quarter valued at approximately $1,128,322,000. Marshall Wace LLP raised its position in shares of United Parcel Service by 284.8% during the 2nd quarter. Marshall Wace LLP now owns 2,569,831 shares of the transportation company’s stock valued at $351,681,000 after acquiring an additional 1,901,914 shares during the last quarter. First Trust Advisors LP lifted its stake in shares of United Parcel Service by 208.1% in the 4th quarter. First Trust Advisors LP now owns 1,717,391 shares of the transportation company’s stock valued at $270,025,000 after purchasing an additional 1,160,005 shares during the period. Finally, Spirepoint Private Client LLC bought a new position in shares of United Parcel Service in the 1st quarter worth $160,787,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 60.26% of the company’s stock.

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.