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

United Parcel Service, Inc. (NYSE:UPS)’s share price traded up 0.3% during trading on Monday . The company traded as high as $123.70 and last traded at $123.59. 2,168,227 shares traded hands during mid-day trading, a decline of 43% from the average session volume of 3,798,545 shares. The stock had previously closed at $123.28.

Analyst Ratings Changes

A number of analysts recently issued reports on UPS shares. The Goldman Sachs Group decreased their price objective on United Parcel Service from $165.00 to $162.00 and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a research note on Wednesday, October 9th. Wolfe Research raised shares of United Parcel Service from a “peer perform” rating to an “outperform” rating and set a $147.00 price target on the stock in a report on Wednesday, January 8th. Evercore ISI raised their price objective on shares of United Parcel Service from $138.00 to $141.00 and gave the company an “in-line” rating in a research report on Tuesday, October 22nd. StockNews.com raised shares of United Parcel Service from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a report on Wednesday, November 6th. Finally, Argus raised shares of United Parcel Service from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a report on Tuesday, November 5th. Two investment 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 stock. According to data from MarketBeat, United Parcel Service presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $151.10.

United Parcel Service Trading Up 1.3 %

The firm’s 50-day simple moving average is $129.22 and its 200-day simple moving average is $131.01. The firm has a market capitalization of $108.74 billion, a PE ratio of 19.25, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.11 and a beta of 1.00. The company has a quick ratio of 1.14, a current ratio of 1.14 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.20.

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

United Parcel Service Dividend Announcement

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Thursday, December 5th. Investors of record on Monday, November 18th were issued a dividend of $1.63 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Monday, November 18th. This represents a $6.52 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 5.12%. United Parcel Service’s dividend payout ratio is currently 98.49%.

Insider Transactions 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 shares were sold at an average price of $138.57, for a total value of $1,015,025.25. Following the sale, the insider now owns 45,098 shares in the company, valued at $6,249,229.86. The trade was a 13.97 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available at this link. 0.13% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders.

Institutional Trading of United Parcel Service

Institutional investors and hedge funds have recently bought and sold shares of the stock. IFS Advisors LLC raised its position in shares of 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 acquiring an additional 151 shares in the last quarter. True Wealth Design LLC grew its stake in 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 purchasing an additional 171 shares during the period. PSI Advisors LLC lifted its position in United Parcel Service by 408.2% during the third quarter. PSI Advisors LLC now owns 249 shares of the transportation company’s stock valued at $34,000 after buying an additional 200 shares during the period. Princeton Global Asset Management LLC boosted its holdings 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 buying an additional 216 shares in the last quarter. Finally, FSA Wealth Management LLC purchased a new stake in shares of United Parcel Service in the 3rd quarter worth about $36,000. 60.26% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other 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.