Universal Logistics (NASDAQ:ULH) Upgraded at Wall Street Zen

Wall Street Zen upgraded shares of Universal Logistics (NASDAQ:ULH) from a sell rating to a hold rating in a research note issued to investors on Saturday.

Several other equities research analysts have also commented on ULH. Stifel Nicolaus lowered their price target on shares of Universal Logistics from $18.00 to $17.00 and set a “hold” rating on the stock in a report on Tuesday, December 16th. Weiss Ratings reiterated a “sell (d)” rating on shares of Universal Logistics in a research note on Monday, December 29th. Finally, Zacks Research raised Universal Logistics from a “strong sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a report on Tuesday, January 6th. Two analysts have rated the stock with a Hold rating and one has given a Sell rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the company currently has a consensus rating of “Reduce” and a consensus price target of $17.00.

Universal Logistics Price Performance

Shares of NASDAQ:ULH opened at $15.90 on Friday. Universal Logistics has a twelve month low of $12.78 and a twelve month high of $30.76. The company has a current ratio of 1.32, a quick ratio of 1.32 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.34. The company has a market cap of $418.97 million, a PE ratio of -7.40 and a beta of 0.91. The company’s 50 day moving average is $16.69 and its 200 day moving average is $17.98.

Universal Logistics (NASDAQ:ULH) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Friday, March 13th. The transportation company reported $0.14 EPS for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of ($0.05) by $0.19. The business had revenue of $385.43 million during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $376.10 million. Universal Logistics had a negative net margin of 3.64% and a positive return on equity of 4.01%. On average, sell-side analysts forecast that Universal Logistics will post 2.81 EPS for the current year.

Universal Logistics Dividend Announcement

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, April 3rd. Investors of record on Monday, March 23rd will be issued a dividend of $0.105 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Monday, March 23rd. This represents a $0.42 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 2.6%. Universal Logistics’s dividend payout ratio is -19.53%.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Institutional investors and hedge funds have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. State of Alaska Department of Revenue acquired a new position in shares of Universal Logistics in the third quarter worth about $31,000. BNP Paribas Financial Markets grew its position in shares of Universal Logistics by 102.3% during the 3rd quarter. BNP Paribas Financial Markets now owns 1,428 shares of the transportation company’s stock valued at $33,000 after acquiring an additional 722 shares during the period. Tower Research Capital LLC TRC grew its position in shares of Universal Logistics by 403.5% during the 2nd quarter. Tower Research Capital LLC TRC now owns 2,130 shares of the transportation company’s stock valued at $54,000 after acquiring an additional 1,707 shares during the period. AlphaQuest LLC purchased a new position in shares of Universal Logistics in the 3rd quarter valued at about $102,000. Finally, Wells Fargo & Company MN raised its holdings in Universal Logistics by 46.2% in the 4th quarter. Wells Fargo & Company MN now owns 7,579 shares of the transportation company’s stock worth $115,000 after purchasing an additional 2,396 shares during the period. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 25.50% of the company’s stock.

Universal Logistics Company Profile

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.