The Goldman Sachs Group Has Lowered Expectations for United Parcel Service (NYSE:UPS) Stock Price

United Parcel Service (NYSE:UPS) had its price target decreased by The Goldman Sachs Group from $166.00 to $147.00 in a research report released on Friday,Benzinga reports. The Goldman Sachs Group currently has a buy rating on the transportation company’s stock.

A number of other analysts also recently weighed in on UPS. Bank of America decreased their price objective on United Parcel Service from $150.00 to $133.00 and set a “buy” rating for the company in a report on Friday. Wells Fargo & Company lowered their price objective on United Parcel Service from $150.00 to $128.00 and set an “overweight” rating for the company in a research report on Friday. Citigroup reduced their target price on United Parcel Service from $163.00 to $158.00 and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a report on Tuesday, November 12th. Argus upgraded shares of United Parcel Service from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a research report on Tuesday, November 5th. Finally, Wolfe Research upgraded shares of United Parcel Service from a “peer perform” rating to an “outperform” rating and set a $147.00 price objective for the company in a research report on Wednesday, January 8th. Two equities research analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, seven have issued a hold rating, fourteen have issued a buy rating and one has issued a strong buy rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the stock currently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $141.95.

United Parcel Service Price Performance

United Parcel Service stock opened at $114.19 on Friday. The stock has a 50-day moving average price of $128.72 and a two-hundred day moving average price of $130.61. United Parcel Service has a 12 month low of $109.62 and a 12 month high of $158.95. The company has a market capitalization of $97.45 billion, a PE ratio of 17.25, a P/E/G ratio of 1.88 and a beta of 1.00. The company has a current ratio of 1.14, a quick ratio of 1.14 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.20.

United Parcel Service (NYSE:UPS) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, January 30th. The transportation company reported $2.75 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $2.52 by $0.23. United Parcel Service had a net margin of 6.25% and a return on equity of 37.38%. During the same period last year, the firm posted $2.47 earnings per share. Analysts expect that United Parcel Service will post 7.5 EPS for the current year.

United Parcel Service Announces Dividend

The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Thursday, December 5th. Stockholders of record on Monday, November 18th were issued a $1.63 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Monday, November 18th. This represents a $6.52 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 5.71%. United Parcel Service’s dividend payout ratio is presently 98.49%.

Insider Activity at United Parcel Service

In related news, insider Norman M. Brothers, Jr. sold 7,325 shares of United Parcel Service stock in a transaction on Monday, November 25th. The stock was sold at an average price of $138.57, for a total transaction of $1,015,025.25. Following the sale, the insider now directly owns 45,098 shares in the company, valued at approximately $6,249,229.86. This trade represents a 13.97 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through this link. 0.13% of the stock is owned by insiders.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On United Parcel Service

A number of hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently made changes to their positions in UPS. IFS Advisors LLC boosted its holdings in United Parcel Service by 232.3% in the 4th quarter. IFS Advisors LLC now owns 216 shares of the transportation company’s stock worth $27,000 after buying an additional 151 shares during the period. True Wealth Design LLC boosted its holdings in shares of United Parcel Service by 397.7% in the third quarter. True Wealth Design LLC now owns 214 shares of the transportation company’s stock worth $29,000 after acquiring an additional 171 shares during the period. PSI Advisors LLC grew its position in shares of United Parcel Service by 408.2% in the third quarter. PSI Advisors LLC now owns 249 shares of the transportation company’s stock valued at $34,000 after purchasing an additional 200 shares in the last quarter. Princeton Global Asset Management LLC raised its stake in shares of United Parcel Service by 720.0% during the 3rd quarter. Princeton Global Asset Management LLC now owns 246 shares of the transportation company’s stock valued at $34,000 after purchasing an additional 216 shares during the period. Finally, FSA Wealth Management LLC bought a new position in United Parcel Service in the 3rd quarter worth about $36,000. 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.