Hilltop Holdings Inc. Lowers Position in United Parcel Service, Inc. $UPS

Hilltop Holdings Inc. decreased its position in shares of United Parcel Service, Inc. (NYSE:UPS) by 35.4% during the first quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The firm owned 14,148 shares of the transportation company’s stock after selling 7,749 shares during the quarter. Hilltop Holdings Inc.’s holdings in United Parcel Service were worth $1,392,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Several other institutional investors have also recently made changes to their positions in the company. University of Texas Texas AM Investment Management Co. purchased a new stake in United Parcel Service during the fourth quarter worth $25,000. IFC & Insurance Marketing Inc. acquired a new stake in United Parcel Service during the fourth quarter valued at $25,000. Coston McIsaac & Partners grew its position in United Parcel Service by 77.8% during the fourth quarter. Coston McIsaac & Partners now owns 272 shares of the transportation company’s stock valued at $27,000 after buying an additional 119 shares during the period. Torren Management LLC purchased a new position in United Parcel Service in the fourth quarter valued at $29,000. Finally, Kemnay Advisory Services Inc. purchased a new position in United Parcel Service in the fourth quarter valued at $29,000. 60.26% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

United Parcel Service Stock Performance

UPS opened at $114.60 on Friday. The company has a quick ratio of 1.21, a current ratio of 1.21 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.50. The company has a market cap of $97.41 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 18.54, a PEG ratio of 1.83 and a beta of 1.05. United Parcel Service, Inc. has a 52-week low of $82.00 and a 52-week high of $122.41. The firm’s fifty day simple moving average is $108.28 and its two-hundred day simple moving average is $106.62.

United Parcel Service (NYSE:UPS) last announced its earnings results on Tuesday, April 28th. The transportation company reported $1.07 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $1.02 by $0.05. The business had revenue of $21.20 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $20.99 billion. United Parcel Service had a net margin of 5.94% and a return on equity of 35.95%. The company’s revenue for the quarter was down 1.4% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter last year, the business earned $1.49 earnings per share. Equities analysts anticipate that United Parcel Service, Inc. will post 7.1 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

United Parcel Service Dividend Announcement

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Thursday, June 4th. Investors of record on Monday, May 18th were issued a $1.64 dividend. This represents a $6.56 annualized dividend and a yield of 5.7%. The ex-dividend date was Monday, May 18th. United Parcel Service’s payout ratio is presently 106.15%.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

A number of research firms have recently commented on UPS. Wall Street Zen cut United Parcel Service from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research report on Sunday. Citigroup upped their price target on United Parcel Service from $127.00 to $132.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a report on Thursday, July 9th. Susquehanna increased their price target 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. Citizens Jmp began coverage on United Parcel Service in a research report on Wednesday, July 15th. They set a “market perform” rating on the stock. Finally, Stephens upgraded United Parcel Service to a “strong-buy” rating in a research report on Wednesday, July 8th. Two analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, seven have assigned a Buy rating, twelve have assigned a Hold rating and three have given a Sell rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat, United Parcel Service presently has an average rating of “Hold” and a consensus target price of $111.50.

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.