Ultrapar Participações (NYSE:UGP) Upgraded to “Buy” at StockNews.com

StockNews.com upgraded shares of Ultrapar Participações (NYSE:UGP) from a hold rating to a buy rating in a research report released on Wednesday morning.

Several other analysts have also recently weighed in on the company. The Goldman Sachs Group dropped their price objective on Ultrapar Participações from $5.90 to $5.20 and set a “neutral” rating for the company in a report on Tuesday, July 23rd. HSBC upgraded shares of Ultrapar Participações from a “reduce” rating to a “hold” rating in a report on Friday, July 19th. Finally, Hsbc Global Res raised shares of Ultrapar Participações from a “strong sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a report on Friday, July 19th. Four research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and two have assigned a buy rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat, Ultrapar Participações has an average rating of “Hold” and an average price target of $5.20.

Ultrapar Participações Price Performance

UGP opened at $3.55 on Wednesday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.77, a current ratio of 1.55 and a quick ratio of 1.16. The company’s 50 day simple moving average is $4.00 and its 200-day simple moving average is $4.32. Ultrapar Participações has a one year low of $3.51 and a one year high of $6.34. The stock has a market capitalization of $3.96 billion, a P/E ratio of 7.40, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.62 and a beta of 1.60.

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

Ultrapar Participações Cuts Dividend

The business also recently declared a semi-annual dividend, which was paid on Tuesday, September 3rd. Stockholders 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 Inflows and Outflows

A number of institutional investors have recently bought and sold shares of UGP. D Orazio & Associates Inc. acquired a new stake in Ultrapar Participações in the first quarter worth $66,000. Sequoia Financial Advisors LLC acquired a new stake in Ultrapar Participações during the 3rd quarter worth $46,000. Envestnet Portfolio Solutions Inc. acquired a new stake in Ultrapar Participações during the 1st quarter worth $80,000. Cutter & CO Brokerage Inc. bought a new position in Ultrapar Participações during the second quarter worth about $57,000. Finally, Blue Trust Inc. grew its stake in Ultrapar Participações by 567.5% in the second quarter. Blue Trust Inc. now owns 15,833 shares of the oil and gas company’s stock valued at $62,000 after acquiring an additional 13,461 shares during the period. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 3.58% of the company’s stock.

About Ultrapar Participações

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.