Ultrapar Participações (NYSE:UGP) Lowered to “Hold” at StockNews.com

StockNews.com downgraded shares of Ultrapar Participações (NYSE:UGP) from a buy rating to a hold rating in a report issued on Saturday morning.

A number of other research analysts have also weighed in on the company. The Goldman Sachs Group reduced their price target on Ultrapar Participações from $5.90 to $5.20 and set a neutral rating on the stock in a research note on Tuesday, July 23rd. Citigroup raised Ultrapar Participações from a neutral rating to a buy rating in a research note on Friday, June 14th. Hsbc Global Res upgraded Ultrapar Participações from a strong sell rating to a hold rating in a report on Friday, July 19th. Finally, HSBC upgraded shares of Ultrapar Participações from a reduce rating to a hold rating in a report on Friday, July 19th. Five equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and one has assigned a buy rating to the company’s stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the company presently has an average rating of Hold and a consensus target price of $5.20.

Ultrapar Participações Price Performance

Shares of NYSE:UGP opened at $3.93 on Friday. 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 business’s fifty day moving average price is $4.14 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $4.60. The stock has a market cap of $4.38 billion, a PE ratio of 8.19, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.98 and a beta of 1.61. Ultrapar Participações has a one year low of $3.39 and a one year high of $6.34.

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

Ultrapar Participações Cuts Dividend

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

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Ultrapar Participações

Large investors have recently modified their holdings of the company. Marshall Wace LLP increased its position in Ultrapar Participações by 332.6% during the 2nd quarter. Marshall Wace LLP now owns 1,429,946 shares of the oil and gas company’s stock worth $5,591,000 after purchasing an additional 1,099,433 shares in the last quarter. XTX Topco Ltd raised its holdings in shares of Ultrapar Participações by 128.2% during the second quarter. XTX Topco Ltd now owns 66,631 shares of the oil and gas company’s stock valued at $261,000 after buying an additional 37,436 shares during the last quarter. Renaissance Technologies LLC boosted its position in Ultrapar Participações by 57.9% during the 2nd quarter. Renaissance Technologies LLC now owns 2,450,300 shares of the oil and gas company’s stock worth $9,581,000 after acquiring an additional 898,600 shares during the period. Dimensional Fund Advisors LP lifted its holdings in Ultrapar Participações by 16.6% in the second quarter. Dimensional Fund Advisors LP now owns 303,436 shares of the oil and gas company’s stock worth $1,187,000 after purchasing an additional 43,258 shares during the period. Finally, D Orazio & Associates Inc. lifted its stake in shares of Ultrapar Participações by 30.3% in the 2nd quarter. D Orazio & Associates Inc. now owns 15,046 shares of the oil and gas company’s stock worth $59,000 after acquiring an additional 3,498 shares during the period. 3.58% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

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.