United Parcel Service, Inc. (NYSE:UPS) Shares Sold by Toth Financial Advisory Corp

Toth Financial Advisory Corp cut its stake in shares of United Parcel Service, Inc. (NYSE:UPS) by 13.7% in the third quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the SEC. The institutional investor owned 709 shares of the transportation company’s stock after selling 113 shares during the quarter. Toth Financial Advisory Corp’s holdings in United Parcel Service were worth $97,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

A number of other large investors have also recently made changes to their positions in UPS. Clearbridge Investments LLC raised its holdings in shares of United Parcel Service by 6.5% in the 1st quarter. Clearbridge Investments LLC now owns 6,671,306 shares of the transportation company’s stock valued at $991,556,000 after purchasing an additional 406,248 shares in the last quarter. Bank of New York Mellon Corp raised its stake in United Parcel Service by 0.3% in the second quarter. Bank of New York Mellon Corp now owns 6,490,712 shares of the transportation company’s stock valued at $888,254,000 after buying an additional 20,426 shares in the last quarter. American Century Companies Inc. lifted its holdings in United Parcel Service by 10.5% during the 2nd quarter. American Century Companies Inc. now owns 4,144,372 shares of the transportation company’s stock worth $567,157,000 after buying an additional 393,434 shares during the last quarter. Price T Rowe Associates Inc. MD boosted its position in shares of United Parcel Service by 2.5% during the 1st quarter. Price T Rowe Associates Inc. MD now owns 4,113,870 shares of the transportation company’s stock worth $611,445,000 after acquiring an additional 101,349 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Capital World Investors increased its holdings in shares of United Parcel Service by 9.6% in the 1st quarter. Capital World Investors now owns 3,011,299 shares of the transportation company’s stock valued at $447,569,000 after acquiring an additional 263,313 shares during the last quarter. 60.26% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

United Parcel Service Stock Down 3.4 %

United Parcel Service stock opened at $131.35 on Tuesday. The stock’s 50 day moving average price is $130.34 and its 200 day moving average price is $136.33. United Parcel Service, Inc. has a 1-year low of $123.12 and a 1-year high of $163.82. The company has a market cap of $112.51 billion, a PE ratio of 21.43, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.00 and a beta of 0.99. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.18, a current ratio of 1.25 and a quick ratio of 1.25.

United Parcel Service (NYSE:UPS) last issued its earnings results on Tuesday, July 23rd. The transportation company reported $1.79 EPS 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 company had revenue of $21.82 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $22.17 billion. During the same quarter in the previous year, the firm posted $2.54 earnings per share. United Parcel Service’s revenue for the quarter was down 1.1% on a year-over-year basis. On average, sell-side analysts predict that United Parcel Service, Inc. will post 7.44 EPS for the current fiscal year.

United Parcel Service Announces Dividend

The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Thursday, September 5th. Shareholders of record on Monday, August 19th were issued a $1.63 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Monday, August 19th. This represents a $6.52 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 4.96%. United Parcel Service’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 106.36%.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of brokerages recently issued reports on UPS. Robert W. Baird lowered their price target on United Parcel Service from $170.00 to $160.00 and set an “outperform” rating for the company in a report on Wednesday, July 24th. The Goldman Sachs Group cut their price target on shares of United Parcel Service from $165.00 to $162.00 and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a research note on Wednesday, October 9th. Citigroup started coverage on shares of United Parcel Service in a research note on Wednesday, October 9th. They issued a “buy” rating and a $162.00 price objective for the company. BMO Capital Markets cut their target price on United Parcel Service from $169.00 to $155.00 and set a “market perform” rating on the stock in a research report on Wednesday, July 24th. Finally, Bank of America decreased their target price on United Parcel Service from $160.00 to $158.00 and set a “neutral” rating for the company in a research report on Monday, July 22nd. Two analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, nine have issued a hold rating, ten have issued a buy rating and two have given a strong buy rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $151.24.

Insider Activity

In other news, Director William R. Johnson purchased 5,000 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, July 25th. The shares were acquired at an average price of $128.61 per share, for a total transaction of $643,050.00. Following the acquisition, the director now directly owns 5,160 shares in the company, valued at approximately $663,627.60. The trade was a 3,100.00 % increase in their position. The acquisition was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through the SEC website. Insiders own 0.13% 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.