United Parcel Service (NYSE:UPS) Trading 0.3% Higher – Here’s What Happened

United Parcel Service, Inc. (NYSE:UPS)’s share price shot up 0.3% during trading on Monday . The company traded as high as $124.85 and last traded at $124.13. 1,413,179 shares traded hands during trading, a decline of 45% from the average session volume of 2,571,940 shares. The stock had previously closed at $123.79.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several brokerages have recently issued reports on UPS. Barclays reaffirmed an “underweight” rating and set a $120.00 target price on shares of United Parcel Service in a research report on Monday, October 21st. The Goldman Sachs Group decreased their price objective on shares of United Parcel Service from $165.00 to $162.00 and set a “buy” rating for the company in a report on Wednesday, October 9th. Susquehanna boosted their target price on shares of United Parcel Service from $135.00 to $140.00 and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a research note on Friday, October 25th. Evercore ISI raised their price target on shares of United Parcel Service from $138.00 to $141.00 and gave the stock an “in-line” rating in a research note on Tuesday, October 22nd. Finally, Oppenheimer lifted their price target on shares of United Parcel Service from $140.00 to $146.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a report on Monday, October 28th. Two analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, six have given a hold rating, fourteen have issued a buy rating and two have given a strong buy rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat.com, United Parcel Service presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $151.10.

United Parcel Service Stock Up 1.4 %

The company’s 50 day simple moving average is $130.04 and its 200-day simple moving average is $131.40. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.20, a quick ratio of 1.14 and a current ratio of 1.14. The firm has a market capitalization of $108.12 billion, a PE ratio of 19.14, a PEG ratio of 2.11 and a beta of 1.00.

United Parcel Service (NYSE:UPS) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, October 24th. The transportation company reported $1.76 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.63 by $0.13. United Parcel Service had a return on equity of 37.38% and a net margin of 6.25%. The company had revenue of $22.20 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $22.10 billion. During the same quarter last year, the business posted $1.57 earnings per share. The firm’s revenue was up 5.4% compared to the same quarter last year. On average, analysts forecast that United Parcel Service, Inc. will post 7.48 EPS for the current fiscal year.

United Parcel Service Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Thursday, December 5th. Stockholders of record on Monday, November 18th were issued a dividend of $1.63 per share. This represents a $6.52 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 5.15%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Monday, November 18th. United Parcel Service’s payout ratio is 98.49%.

Insider Activity at United Parcel Service

In other news, insider Norman M. Brothers, Jr. sold 7,325 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction dated Monday, November 25th. The stock was sold at an average price of $138.57, for a total value of $1,015,025.25. Following the completion of the transaction, the insider now directly owns 45,098 shares in the company, valued at approximately $6,249,229.86. This represents a 13.97 % decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this link. 0.13% of the stock is currently owned by insiders.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On United Parcel Service

A number of large investors have recently modified their holdings of UPS. Principal Financial Group Inc. increased its holdings in shares of United Parcel Service by 4.3% in the third quarter. Principal Financial Group Inc. now owns 829,280 shares of the transportation company’s stock worth $113,064,000 after buying an additional 33,989 shares during the period. Synovus Financial Corp increased its stake in United Parcel Service by 8.6% in the 3rd quarter. Synovus Financial Corp now owns 87,531 shares of the transportation company’s stock worth $11,934,000 after purchasing an additional 6,941 shares during the period. Van ECK Associates Corp lifted its position in United Parcel Service by 1,061.1% in the third quarter. Van ECK Associates Corp now owns 1,772,765 shares of the transportation company’s stock valued at $232,959,000 after purchasing an additional 1,620,091 shares during the last quarter. Cohen Investment Advisors LLC boosted its stake in shares of United Parcel Service by 26.4% during the third quarter. Cohen Investment Advisors LLC now owns 18,357 shares of the transportation company’s stock valued at $2,503,000 after purchasing an additional 3,835 shares during the period. Finally, Weaver C. Barksdale & Associates Inc. grew its holdings in shares of United Parcel Service by 71.8% in the second quarter. Weaver C. Barksdale & Associates Inc. now owns 14,530 shares of the transportation company’s stock worth $1,988,000 after purchasing an additional 6,073 shares during the last quarter. 60.26% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

United Parcel Service Company Profile

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.