Baird R W Upgrades United Parcel Service (NYSE:UPS) to Strong-Buy

Baird R W upgraded shares of United Parcel Service (NYSE:UPS) to a strong-buy rating in a report issued on Wednesday morning, Zacks.com reports.

Several other equities analysts have also commented on UPS. Susquehanna reduced their target price on shares of United Parcel Service from $160.00 to $135.00 and set a neutral rating on the stock in a report on Wednesday. JPMorgan Chase & Co. dropped their price target on shares of United Parcel Service from $150.00 to $144.00 and set a neutral rating for the company in a research report on Wednesday. Bank of America dropped 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 research report on Monday. TD Cowen dropped their target price on shares of United Parcel Service from $147.00 to $140.00 and set a hold rating for the company in a research report on Thursday, March 28th. Finally, Morgan Stanley raised their target price on shares of United Parcel Service from $95.00 to $100.00 and gave the stock an underweight rating in a research report on Wednesday, March 27th. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, thirteen have assigned a hold rating, nine have issued a buy rating and two have assigned a strong buy rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the company currently has a consensus rating of Hold and a consensus target price of $154.95.

United Parcel Service Price Performance

Shares of NYSE:UPS opened at $127.08 on Wednesday. The company’s fifty day moving average price is $138.05 and its 200-day moving average price is $145.91. The firm has a market capitalization of $108.72 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 18.42, a PEG ratio of 1.69 and a beta of 0.98. United Parcel Service has a one year low of $124.80 and a one year high of $189.65. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.18, a current ratio of 1.25 and a quick ratio of 1.04.

United Parcel Service (NYSE:UPS) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, July 23rd. The transportation company reported $1.79 EPS for the quarter, missing analysts’ consensus estimates 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 during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $22.17 billion. During the same period in the previous year, the company earned $2.54 EPS. United Parcel Service’s quarterly revenue was down 1.1% on a year-over-year basis. On average, equities research analysts anticipate that United Parcel Service will post 8.02 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

United Parcel Service Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Thursday, May 30th. Investors of record on Monday, May 13th were paid a $1.63 dividend. This represents a $6.52 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 5.13%. The ex-dividend date was Friday, May 10th. United Parcel Service’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 94.49%.

Insider Buying and Selling at United Parcel Service

In related news, Director William R. Johnson acquired 5,000 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, July 25th. The stock was purchased at an average cost of $128.61 per share, with a total value of $643,050.00. Following the transaction, the director now directly owns 5,160 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $663,627.60. The purchase was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at this hyperlink. Insiders own 0.13% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On United Parcel Service

A number of hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently made changes to their positions in UPS. SeaCrest Wealth Management LLC grew its stake in shares of United Parcel Service by 1.0% during the 4th quarter. SeaCrest Wealth Management LLC now owns 7,193 shares of the transportation company’s stock worth $1,142,000 after purchasing an additional 69 shares during the period. McGlone Suttner Wealth Management Inc. purchased a new position in shares of United Parcel Service during the 4th quarter valued at approximately $169,000. Relyea Zuckerberg Hanson LLC purchased a new position in shares of United Parcel Service during the 4th quarter valued at approximately $363,000. Blue Trust Inc. lifted its position in shares of United Parcel Service by 4.1% during the 4th quarter. Blue Trust Inc. now owns 6,094 shares of the transportation company’s stock valued at $950,000 after buying an additional 242 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Global Retirement Partners LLC lifted its position in shares of United Parcel Service by 26.9% during the 4th quarter. Global Retirement Partners LLC now owns 10,922 shares of the transportation company’s stock valued at $1,697,000 after buying an additional 2,317 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds 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.