Farmers & Merchants Investments Inc. Has $4 Million Holdings in United Parcel Service, Inc. (NYSE:UPS)

Farmers & Merchants Investments Inc. raised its position in shares of United Parcel Service, Inc. (NYSE:UPS) by 0.7% during the third quarter, HoldingsChannel.com reports. The fund owned 29,348 shares of the transportation company’s stock after buying an additional 216 shares during the quarter. Farmers & Merchants Investments Inc.’s holdings in United Parcel Service were worth $4,001,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Other large investors have also recently bought and sold shares of the company. TruNorth Capital Management LLC bought a new stake in shares of United Parcel Service in the 2nd quarter valued at $28,000. Riverview Trust Co bought a new stake in United Parcel Service in the second quarter valued at $32,000. Centerpoint Advisors LLC raised its holdings in shares of United Parcel Service by 291.7% during the second quarter. Centerpoint Advisors LLC now owns 235 shares of the transportation company’s stock valued at $32,000 after purchasing an additional 175 shares during the period. Tortoise Investment Management LLC boosted its position in shares of United Parcel Service by 168.5% during the 2nd quarter. Tortoise Investment Management LLC now owns 247 shares of the transportation company’s stock worth $34,000 after purchasing an additional 155 shares in the last quarter. Finally, PSI Advisors LLC grew its stake in shares of United Parcel Service by 408.2% in the 3rd 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. 60.26% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

United Parcel Service Stock Down 0.8 %

Shares of NYSE:UPS opened at $134.31 on Wednesday. The stock has a market capitalization of $115.05 billion, a P/E ratio of 20.29, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.03 and a beta of 0.99. United Parcel Service, Inc. has a 12-month low of $123.12 and a 12-month high of $163.82. The company has a current ratio of 1.14, a quick ratio of 1.25 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.20. The stock’s 50-day moving average price is $131.12 and its 200-day moving average price is $135.73.

United Parcel Service (NYSE:UPS) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, October 24th. The transportation company reported $1.76 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.63 by $0.13. The business had revenue of $22.20 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $22.10 billion. United Parcel Service had a net margin of 6.25% and a return on equity of 37.38%. The company’s quarterly revenue was up 5.4% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period in the previous year, the firm earned $1.57 EPS. On average, equities analysts anticipate that United Parcel Service, Inc. will post 7.41 earnings per share for the current year.

United Parcel Service Dividend Announcement

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Thursday, September 5th. Shareholders of record on Monday, August 19th were issued a $1.63 dividend. The ex-dividend date was Monday, August 19th. This represents a $6.52 annualized dividend and a yield of 4.85%. United Parcel Service’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 98.49%.

Analyst Ratings Changes

A number of research analysts recently weighed in on UPS shares. TD Cowen assumed coverage on United Parcel Service in a research note on Thursday, August 22nd. They set a “hold” rating and a $144.00 price target on the stock. Oppenheimer upped their target price on United Parcel Service from $140.00 to $146.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a research report on Monday. Robert W. Baird cut their target price on United Parcel Service from $170.00 to $160.00 and set an “outperform” rating on the stock in a report on Wednesday, July 24th. The Goldman Sachs Group decreased their price target on shares of United Parcel Service from $165.00 to $162.00 and set a “buy” rating for the company in a research note on Wednesday, October 9th. Finally, JPMorgan Chase & Co. dropped their price objective on shares of United Parcel Service from $140.00 to $139.00 and set a “neutral” rating on the stock in a research note on Friday, October 25th. Two investment analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, nine have assigned a hold rating, eleven have issued a buy rating and two have issued a strong buy rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat, the company currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $151.71.

United Parcel Service Company Profile

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.