United Parcel Service, Inc. $UPS Shares Acquired by Candriam S.C.A.

Candriam S.C.A. lifted its holdings in shares of United Parcel Service, Inc. (NYSE:UPS) by 29.6% in the first quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The fund owned 91,015 shares of the transportation company’s stock after buying an additional 20,791 shares during the period. Candriam S.C.A.’s holdings in United Parcel Service were worth $8,954,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Other institutional investors and hedge funds have also recently bought and sold shares of the company. Vanguard Group Inc. lifted its holdings in United Parcel Service by 1.8% in the fourth quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 68,496,420 shares of the transportation company’s stock worth $6,794,160,000 after acquiring an additional 1,218,432 shares during the last quarter. State Street Corp grew its holdings in shares of United Parcel Service by 3.3% during the fourth quarter. State Street Corp now owns 32,092,627 shares of the transportation company’s stock valued at $3,183,268,000 after purchasing an additional 1,029,377 shares during the last quarter. Charles Schwab Investment Management Inc. grew its holdings in shares of United Parcel Service by 3.3% during the fourth quarter. Charles Schwab Investment Management Inc. now owns 27,142,759 shares of the transportation company’s stock valued at $2,692,290,000 after purchasing an additional 856,125 shares during the last quarter. Geode Capital Management LLC raised its position in shares of United Parcel Service by 1.4% during the 4th quarter. Geode Capital Management LLC now owns 17,154,091 shares of the transportation company’s stock worth $1,703,291,000 after purchasing an additional 240,253 shares during the period. Finally, Victory Capital Management Inc. raised its position in shares of United Parcel Service by 72.9% during the 4th quarter. Victory Capital Management Inc. now owns 13,818,314 shares of the transportation company’s stock worth $1,370,639,000 after purchasing an additional 5,826,824 shares during the period. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 60.26% of the company’s stock.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

UPS has been the subject of a number of analyst reports. Weiss Ratings lowered United Parcel Service from a “hold (c)” rating to a “sell (d+)” rating in a research report on Friday, May 8th. Susquehanna increased their target price on United Parcel Service from $116.00 to $118.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a research report on Wednesday, April 29th. UBS Group dropped their target price on United Parcel Service from $125.00 to $123.00 and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a research report on Wednesday, April 29th. Citigroup boosted their price target on shares of United Parcel Service from $127.00 to $132.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a report on Thursday. Finally, Stephens upgraded shares of United Parcel Service to a “strong-buy” rating in a research report on Wednesday, July 8th. Two equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, seven have given a Buy rating, ten have assigned a Hold rating and four have issued a Sell rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the company presently has a consensus rating of “Hold” and an average price target of $111.10.

United Parcel Service Stock Performance

UPS opened at $112.61 on Monday. The company has a current ratio of 1.21, a quick ratio of 1.21 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.50. The business’s 50 day moving average is $105.35 and its 200-day moving average is $105.63. The stock has a market cap of $95.72 billion, a PE ratio of 18.22, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.79 and a beta of 1.05. United Parcel Service, Inc. has a twelve month low of $82.00 and a twelve month high of $122.41.

United Parcel Service (NYSE:UPS) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, April 28th. The transportation company reported $1.07 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.02 by $0.05. United Parcel Service had a return on equity of 35.95% and a net margin of 5.94%.The business had revenue of $21.20 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $20.99 billion. During the same period in the prior year, the company posted $1.49 EPS. The business’s revenue for the quarter was down 1.4% compared to the same quarter last year. On average, analysts predict that United Parcel Service, Inc. will post 7.11 earnings per share for the current year.

United Parcel Service Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Thursday, June 4th. Shareholders of record on Monday, May 18th were given a dividend of $1.64 per share. This represents a $6.56 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 5.8%. The ex-dividend date was Monday, May 18th. United Parcel Service’s payout ratio is 106.15%.

United Parcel Service News Summary

Here are the key news stories impacting United Parcel Service this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Citigroup raised its price target on UPS to $132 and reiterated a buy rating, while Stephens upgraded the stock to strong-buy, signaling Wall Street sees more upside. Article Title
• Positive Sentiment: UPS was added to the Russell 1000 Value Defensive and Russell 1000 Defensive indexes, which can support demand from index-focused investors and highlight the stock’s defensive appeal. Article Title
• Positive Sentiment: Unusually heavy call option buying suggests traders are positioning for continued gains in UPS shares.
• Positive Sentiment: Several articles pointed to UPS’s strong earnings-beat history and growing investor attention ahead of the next quarterly report, reinforcing expectations for another solid print. Article Title
• Neutral Sentiment: UPS is reshaping its network, likely as part of ongoing operational efficiency efforts, but the article did not indicate an immediate material financial impact. Article Title
• Neutral Sentiment: UPS and FedEx remaining top logistics companies by market cap is a reminder of the company’s scale, but this is more a sector ranking than a stock-moving catalyst. Article Title
• Negative Sentiment: The U.S. Postal Service Inspector General flagged UPS’s air cargo contract with USPS, urging a re-evaluation over volume-guarantee risks and even possible termination if issues are not addressed, which adds uncertainty around parcel volumes and contract revenue. Article Title

United Parcel Service Profile

United Parcel Service (NYSE: UPS) is a global package delivery and supply chain management company that provides a broad range of transportation, logistics and e-commerce services. Its core business centers on small-package delivery and last-mile distribution for business and individual customers, supported by a network of ground transportation, air cargo operations (UPS Airlines) and sorting facilities. In addition to parcel delivery, UPS offers freight transportation, contract logistics, warehousing, customs brokerage and reverse-logistics solutions designed to support domestic and international commerce.

The company traces its roots to 1907 when it began as a small messenger service in the United States and later evolved into the United Parcel Service.