Ultrapar Participações (NYSE:UGP) Shares Down 4.6%

Ultrapar Participações S.A. (NYSE:UGP)’s stock price dropped 4.6% on Thursday . The company traded as low as $3.77 and last traded at $3.77. Approximately 227,425 shares were traded during trading, a decline of 83% from the average daily volume of 1,324,682 shares. The stock had previously closed at $3.95.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

Several research analysts have recently issued reports on the company. StockNews.com raised Ultrapar Participações from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a research note on Sunday. Hsbc Global Res upgraded Ultrapar Participações from a “strong sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note on Friday, July 19th. The Goldman Sachs Group lowered their price objective on shares of Ultrapar Participações from $5.90 to $5.20 and set a “neutral” rating on the stock in a research note on Tuesday, July 23rd. HSBC raised Ultrapar Participações from a “reduce” rating to a “hold” rating in a research report on Friday, July 19th. Finally, Citigroup raised Ultrapar Participações from a “neutral” rating to a “buy” rating in a report on Friday, June 14th. Four research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and two have assigned a buy rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, Ultrapar Participações presently has an average rating of “Hold” and a consensus target price of $5.20.

Ultrapar Participações Price Performance

The firm has a market capitalization of $4.26 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 7.96, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.83 and a beta of 1.61. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.77, a quick ratio of 1.16 and a current ratio of 1.55. The company has a 50-day moving average of $4.11 and a 200-day moving average of $4.53.

Ultrapar Participações (NYSE:UGP) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, August 7th. The oil and gas company reported $0.08 earnings per share for the quarter, meeting the consensus estimate of $0.08. The company had revenue of $6.21 billion during the quarter. Ultrapar Participações had a return on equity of 20.24% and a net margin of 2.21%. As a group, research analysts anticipate that Ultrapar Participações S.A. will post 0.34 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Ultrapar Participações Cuts Dividend

The firm also recently declared a semi-annual dividend, which was paid on Tuesday, September 3rd. Investors of record on Monday, August 19th were paid a $0.0446 dividend. The ex-dividend date was Monday, August 19th. This represents a dividend yield of 2.7%. Ultrapar Participações’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 16.67%.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Ultrapar Participações

Several institutional investors and hedge funds have recently bought and sold shares of UGP. Acadian Asset Management LLC grew its stake in shares of Ultrapar Participações by 175.6% in the first quarter. Acadian Asset Management LLC now owns 3,471,048 shares of the oil and gas company’s stock worth $19,850,000 after purchasing an additional 2,211,696 shares during the last quarter. Hennessy Advisors Inc. acquired a new position in shares of Ultrapar Participações during the second quarter valued at about $5,887,000. Marshall Wace LLP grew its holdings in Ultrapar Participações by 332.6% during the second quarter. Marshall Wace LLP now owns 1,429,946 shares of the oil and gas company’s stock worth $5,591,000 after buying an additional 1,099,433 shares in the last quarter. Renaissance Technologies LLC lifted its position in shares of Ultrapar Participações by 57.9% during the second quarter. Renaissance Technologies LLC now owns 2,450,300 shares of the oil and gas company’s stock valued at $9,581,000 after purchasing an additional 898,600 shares in the last quarter. Finally, US Bancorp DE increased its position in shares of Ultrapar Participações by 1,497.3% during the fourth quarter. US Bancorp DE now owns 153,473 shares of the oil and gas company’s stock valued at $832,000 after acquiring an additional 143,865 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors own 3.58% of the company’s stock.

Ultrapar Participações Company Profile

Ultrapar Participações SA, through its subsidiaries, operates in the energy and infrastructure business in Brazil. The company distributes liquefied petroleum gas to residential, commercial, and industrial consumers, in addition to renewable electricity and compressed natural gas. It also operates in the distribution and marketing of gasoline, ethanol, diesel, fuel oil, kerosene, natural gas for vehicles, and lubricants; and holds AmPm convenience stores and provides JetOil lubricant services.