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

StockNews.com upgraded shares of Ultrapar Participações (NYSE:UGP) from a hold rating to a buy rating in a research note published on Sunday.

Other equities research analysts also recently issued reports about the stock. Hsbc Global Res upgraded shares of Ultrapar Participações from a strong sell rating to a hold rating in a research report on Friday, July 19th. Citigroup upgraded shares of Ultrapar Participações from a neutral rating to a buy rating in a research report on Friday, June 14th. HSBC raised shares of Ultrapar Participações from a reduce rating to a hold rating in a research note on Friday, July 19th. Finally, The Goldman Sachs Group dropped their price objective on shares of Ultrapar Participações from $5.90 to $5.20 and set a neutral rating for the company in a research note on Tuesday, July 23rd. Four analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and two have given a buy rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the company currently has a consensus rating of Hold and a consensus price target of $5.20.

Ultrapar Participações Price Performance

UGP stock opened at $3.95 on Friday. The firm has a 50 day moving average of $4.11 and a 200-day moving average of $4.53. Ultrapar Participações has a 12-month low of $3.39 and a 12-month high of $6.34. The company has a current ratio of 1.55, a quick ratio of 1.16 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.77. The company has a market cap of $4.41 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 8.35, a PEG ratio of 2.83 and a beta of 1.61.

Ultrapar Participações (NYSE:UGP) last posted its quarterly 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. Ultrapar Participações had a net margin of 2.21% and a return on equity of 20.24%. The company had revenue of $6.21 billion during the quarter. As a group, equities analysts expect that Ultrapar Participações will post 0.34 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Ultrapar Participações Cuts Dividend

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

Institutional Trading of Ultrapar Participações

Several hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently bought and sold shares of UGP. Assetmark Inc. purchased a new stake in Ultrapar Participações in the 4th quarter worth approximately $46,000. Cutter & CO Brokerage Inc. purchased a new stake in shares of Ultrapar Participações during the 2nd quarter valued at $57,000. D Orazio & Associates Inc. grew its stake in shares of Ultrapar Participações by 30.3% during the 2nd quarter. D Orazio & Associates Inc. now owns 15,046 shares of the oil and gas company’s stock valued at $59,000 after buying an additional 3,498 shares during the period. Blue Trust Inc. grew its stake in shares of Ultrapar Participações by 567.5% during the 2nd quarter. Blue Trust Inc. now owns 15,833 shares of the oil and gas company’s stock valued at $62,000 after buying an additional 13,461 shares during the period. Finally, Envestnet Portfolio Solutions Inc. purchased a new stake in shares of Ultrapar Participações during the 1st quarter valued at $80,000. 3.58% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

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.