Analysts Set United Parcel Service, Inc. (NYSE:UPS) Target Price at $149.68

Shares of United Parcel Service, Inc. (NYSE:UPS) have been assigned an average rating of “Moderate Buy” from the twenty-one ratings firms that are presently covering the company, Marketbeat reports. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, ten have given a hold rating, eight have issued a buy rating and two have given a strong buy rating to the company. The average twelve-month price objective among brokerages that have issued ratings on the stock in the last year is $149.68.

Several brokerages have recently issued reports on UPS. TD Cowen began coverage on shares of United Parcel Service in a research note on Thursday, August 22nd. They set a “hold” rating and a $144.00 price objective for the company. Baird R W upgraded United Parcel Service to a “strong-buy” rating in a research note on Wednesday, July 24th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. reduced their price objective on United Parcel Service from $150.00 to $144.00 and set a “neutral” rating on the stock in a research note on Wednesday, July 24th. UBS Group dropped their target price on shares of United Parcel Service from $175.00 to $159.00 and set a “buy” rating for the company in a research report on Wednesday, July 24th. Finally, Evercore ISI reduced their price target on shares of United Parcel Service from $157.00 to $145.00 and set an “in-line” rating on the stock in a research report on Monday, June 24th.

United Parcel Service Stock Performance

NYSE UPS opened at $134.25 on Monday. The business’s 50-day moving average price is $128.97 and its 200 day moving average price is $138.75. The company has a current ratio of 1.25, a quick ratio of 1.25 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.18. United Parcel Service has a twelve month low of $123.12 and a twelve month high of $163.82. The company has a market capitalization of $115.00 billion, a PE ratio of 19.46, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.91 and a beta of 0.99.

United Parcel Service (NYSE:UPS) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, July 23rd. The transportation company reported $1.79 earnings per share for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate 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 for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $22.17 billion. During the same quarter in the previous year, the company earned $2.54 earnings per share. The company’s revenue was down 1.1% on a year-over-year basis. On average, research analysts predict that United Parcel Service will post 7.43 earnings per share for the current year.

United Parcel Service Dividend Announcement

The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Thursday, September 5th. Stockholders of record on Monday, August 19th were given a $1.63 dividend. This represents a $6.52 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 4.86%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Monday, August 19th. United Parcel Service’s payout ratio is currently 94.49%.

Insider Activity

In other news, Director William R. Johnson bought 5,000 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction dated Thursday, July 25th. The stock was bought at an average price of $128.61 per share, for a total transaction of $643,050.00. Following the transaction, the director now owns 5,160 shares in the company, valued at $663,627.60. The purchase was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is accessible through this link. Company insiders own 0.13% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Large investors have recently modified their holdings of the business. Wellington Management Group LLP boosted its stake in United Parcel Service by 87.6% in the fourth quarter. Wellington Management Group LLP now owns 18,152,900 shares of the transportation company’s stock valued at $2,854,180,000 after acquiring an additional 8,475,698 shares during the period. Marshall Wace LLP boosted its position in United Parcel Service by 284.8% during the 2nd quarter. Marshall Wace LLP now owns 2,569,831 shares of the transportation company’s stock valued at $351,681,000 after purchasing an additional 1,901,914 shares during the period. First Trust Advisors LP grew its stake in United Parcel Service by 208.1% during the 4th quarter. First Trust Advisors LP now owns 1,717,391 shares of the transportation company’s stock worth $270,025,000 after buying an additional 1,160,005 shares during the last quarter. Spirepoint Private Client LLC acquired a new stake in United Parcel Service in the first quarter worth $160,787,000. Finally, Confluence Investment Management LLC bought a new stake in United Parcel Service in the first quarter valued at $100,176,000. 60.26% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

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.