Benjamin F. Edwards & Company Inc. Has $18.99 Million Stake in United Parcel Service, Inc. (NYSE:UPS)

Benjamin F. Edwards & Company Inc. boosted its position in United Parcel Service, Inc. (NYSE:UPS) by 2.9% during the 2nd quarter, according to the company in its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The firm owned 138,778 shares of the transportation company’s stock after buying an additional 3,890 shares during the period. Benjamin F. Edwards & Company Inc.’s holdings in United Parcel Service were worth $18,992,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Several other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also bought and sold shares of UPS. TruNorth Capital Management LLC acquired a new position in shares of United Parcel Service during the second quarter valued at about $28,000. Security National Bank acquired a new position in shares of United Parcel Service during the fourth quarter valued at about $31,000. Pineridge Advisors LLC acquired a new position in shares of United Parcel Service during the fourth quarter valued at about $31,000. Riverview Trust Co acquired a new position in shares of United Parcel Service during the second quarter valued at about $32,000. Finally, Centerpoint Advisors LLC raised its holdings in shares of United Parcel Service by 291.7% during the second quarter. Centerpoint Advisors LLC now owns 235 shares of the transportation company’s stock valued at $32,000 after purchasing an additional 175 shares during the period. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 60.26% of the company’s stock.

United Parcel Service Stock Performance

United Parcel Service stock opened at $132.11 on Friday. The firm’s fifty day moving average price is $130.45 and its 200-day moving average price is $139.50. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.18, a quick ratio of 1.25 and a current ratio of 1.25. The stock has a market cap of $113.16 billion, a P/E ratio of 19.15, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.90 and a beta of 0.99. United Parcel Service, Inc. has a fifty-two week low of $123.12 and a fifty-two week high of $163.82.

United Parcel Service (NYSE:UPS) last posted 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 net margin of 5.87% and a return on equity of 35.27%. The company had revenue of $21.82 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $22.17 billion. During the same quarter last year, the business posted $2.54 EPS. The business’s quarterly revenue was down 1.1% compared to the same quarter last year. On average, equities research analysts expect that United Parcel Service, Inc. will post 7.43 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

United Parcel Service Announces Dividend

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Thursday, September 5th. Investors of record on Monday, August 19th were issued a dividend of $1.63 per share. This represents a $6.52 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 4.94%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Monday, August 19th. United Parcel Service’s dividend payout ratio is currently 94.49%.

Insider Activity at United Parcel Service

In other United Parcel Service news, Director William R. Johnson bought 5,000 shares of United Parcel Service stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, July 25th. The shares were bought at an average price 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 filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. 0.13% of the stock is owned by insiders.

Analyst Ratings Changes

UPS has been the topic of several research reports. JPMorgan Chase & Co. dropped their price objective on shares of United Parcel Service from $150.00 to $144.00 and set a “neutral” rating on the stock in a report on Wednesday, July 24th. Evercore ISI lowered their target price on shares of United Parcel Service from $157.00 to $145.00 and set an “in-line” rating on the stock in a report on Monday, June 24th. BMO Capital Markets lowered their target price on shares of United Parcel Service from $169.00 to $155.00 and set a “market perform” rating on the stock in a report on Wednesday, July 24th. Baird R W upgraded shares of United Parcel Service to a “strong-buy” rating in a report on Wednesday, July 24th. Finally, Robert W. Baird lowered their target price on shares of United Parcel Service from $170.00 to $160.00 and set an “outperform” rating on the stock in a report on Wednesday, July 24th. One analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, eleven have given a hold rating, eight have assigned a buy rating and two have assigned a strong buy rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat, United Parcel Service presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $149.68.

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.