United Parcel Service (NYSE:UPS) Shares Up 1.7%

United Parcel Service, Inc. (NYSE:UPS) shot up 1.7% on Tuesday . The company traded as high as $131.13 and last traded at $131.10. 690,576 shares changed hands during mid-day trading, a decline of 84% from the average session volume of 4,226,954 shares. The stock had previously closed at $128.91.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

UPS has been the topic of several recent research reports. TD Cowen began coverage on United Parcel Service in a report on Thursday, August 22nd. They set a “hold” rating and a $144.00 target price on the stock. UBS Group cut their price objective on United Parcel Service from $175.00 to $159.00 and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a research note on Wednesday, July 24th. Stifel Nicolaus decreased their target price on shares of United Parcel Service from $170.00 to $151.00 and set a “buy” rating for the company in a research report on Wednesday, July 24th. Bank of America lowered 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, Oppenheimer lowered their target price on shares of United Parcel Service from $157.00 to $140.00 and set an “outperform” rating for the company in a research note on Wednesday, July 24th. One research analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, eleven have assigned a hold rating, eight have issued a buy rating and two have given a strong buy rating to the company. According to MarketBeat, the company presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $149.68.

United Parcel Service Stock Up 1.1 %

The company has a market cap of $113.16 billion, a PE ratio of 19.22, a PEG ratio of 1.90 and a beta of 0.99. 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 company’s fifty day moving average is $130.58 and its 200-day moving average is $139.55.

United Parcel Service (NYSE:UPS) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, July 23rd. The transportation company reported $1.79 earnings per share for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate 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 during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $22.17 billion. During the same quarter last year, the company earned $2.54 EPS. United Parcel Service’s revenue for the quarter was down 1.1% on a year-over-year basis. On average, analysts predict that United Parcel Service, Inc. will post 7.43 EPS for the current year.

United Parcel Service Announces Dividend

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Thursday, September 5th. Stockholders of record on Monday, August 19th were paid a $1.63 dividend. The ex-dividend date was Monday, August 19th. This represents a $6.52 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 4.94%. United Parcel Service’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 94.49%.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other United Parcel Service news, Director William R. Johnson purchased 5,000 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, July 25th. The shares were bought at an average cost of $128.61 per share, with a total value of $643,050.00. Following the acquisition, the director now owns 5,160 shares in the company, valued at $663,627.60. The purchase was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through the SEC website. 0.13% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On United Parcel Service

Several large investors have recently bought and sold shares of UPS. Verity & Verity LLC increased its stake in United Parcel Service by 17.5% in the second quarter. Verity & Verity LLC now owns 119,480 shares of the transportation company’s stock worth $16,351,000 after purchasing an additional 17,783 shares during the period. Newbridge Financial Services Group Inc. increased its stake in United Parcel Service by 67.4% in the 2nd quarter. Newbridge Financial Services Group Inc. now owns 745 shares of the transportation company’s stock worth $102,000 after buying an additional 300 shares during the period. Cannon Financial Strategists Inc. bought a new stake in United Parcel Service during the 2nd quarter valued at about $331,000. Heritage Wealth Management Inc. purchased a new stake in United Parcel Service in the 2nd quarter valued at about $1,440,000. Finally, Cim LLC grew its stake in United Parcel Service by 11.5% in the 2nd quarter. Cim LLC now owns 11,032 shares of the transportation company’s stock worth $1,405,000 after acquiring an additional 1,140 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors own 60.26% of the company’s stock.

About United Parcel Service

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.