Universal Logistics (NASDAQ:ULH) Shares Up 9% – Still a Buy?

Shares of Universal Logistics Holdings, Inc. (NASDAQ:ULH) were up 9% on Thursday . The stock traded as high as $19.18 and last traded at $19.04. Approximately 79,091 shares were traded during mid-day trading, an increase of 82% from the average daily volume of 43,434 shares. The stock had previously closed at $17.46.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

ULH has been the subject of a number of analyst reports. Wall Street Zen raised Universal Logistics from a “sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note on Saturday, November 8th. Zacks Research upgraded shares of Universal Logistics from a “strong sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a report on Tuesday, January 6th. Stifel Nicolaus reduced their price objective on Universal Logistics from $18.00 to $17.00 and set a “hold” rating on the stock in a research note on Tuesday, December 16th. Finally, Weiss Ratings reiterated a “sell (d)” rating on shares of Universal Logistics in a research note on Monday, December 29th. Two research analysts have rated the stock with a Hold rating and one has assigned a Sell rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the company has a consensus rating of “Reduce” and a consensus price target of $17.00.

Universal Logistics Price Performance

The company has a quick ratio of 1.32, a current ratio of 1.32 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.24. The stock has a market capitalization of $496.58 million, a price-to-earnings ratio of -12.41 and a beta of 0.92. The business has a 50-day simple moving average of $15.54 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $20.74.

Universal Logistics (NASDAQ:ULH) last released its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, November 6th. The transportation company reported $0.24 earnings per share for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.18 by $0.06. Universal Logistics had a positive return on equity of 6.49% and a negative net margin of 2.46%.The business had revenue of $396.79 million during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $422.80 million. As a group, research analysts predict that Universal Logistics Holdings, Inc. will post 2.81 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Universal Logistics Dividend Announcement

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, January 2nd. Investors of record on Monday, December 1st were issued a dividend of $0.105 per share. This represents a $0.42 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 2.2%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Monday, December 1st. Universal Logistics’s dividend payout ratio is currently -27.63%.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Large investors have recently modified their holdings of the business. BNP Paribas Financial Markets raised its stake in shares of Universal Logistics by 102.3% in the third quarter. BNP Paribas Financial Markets now owns 1,428 shares of the transportation company’s stock worth $33,000 after acquiring an additional 722 shares during the last quarter. First Trust Advisors LP lifted its stake in Universal Logistics by 5.3% in the 3rd quarter. First Trust Advisors LP now owns 136,107 shares of the transportation company’s stock valued at $3,190,000 after acquiring an additional 6,854 shares in the last quarter. AlphaQuest LLC acquired a new position in shares of Universal Logistics during the 3rd quarter worth about $102,000. Anchor Capital Advisors LLC increased its holdings in Universal Logistics by 1.8% during the third quarter. Anchor Capital Advisors LLC now owns 49,506 shares of the transportation company’s stock worth $1,160,000 after buying an additional 875 shares during the last quarter. Finally, State of Alaska Department of Revenue acquired a new stake in Universal Logistics in the third quarter valued at $31,000. 25.50% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

About Universal Logistics

Universal Logistics Holdings, Inc is a diversified, asset-light third-party logistics provider offering transportation and supply chain solutions across North America and around the globe. Its service portfolio encompasses truckload, less-than-truckload, intermodal, and specialized freight services, supported by dedicated brokerage, warehousing, and distribution management capabilities.

Originally incorporated as Universal Truckload Services, Inc, the company has evolved beyond its core truckload heritage to a one-stop logistics platform.