Monte Financial Group LLC Takes $3.63 Million Position in United Parcel Service, Inc. (NYSE:UPS)

Monte Financial Group LLC purchased a new stake in shares of United Parcel Service, Inc. (NYSE:UPS) in the 4th quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The firm purchased 28,802 shares of the transportation company’s stock, valued at approximately $3,632,000.

A number of other institutional investors and hedge funds have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. State Street Corp lifted its position in United Parcel Service by 2.1% during the 3rd quarter. State Street Corp now owns 29,597,425 shares of the transportation company’s stock worth $4,035,313,000 after buying an additional 613,409 shares in the last quarter. Charles Schwab Investment Management Inc. lifted its stake in shares of United Parcel Service by 6.4% during the third quarter. Charles Schwab Investment Management Inc. now owns 21,927,607 shares of the transportation company’s stock valued at $2,989,609,000 after acquiring an additional 1,320,921 shares during the period. Geode Capital Management LLC boosted its holdings in United Parcel Service by 2.5% in the third quarter. Geode Capital Management LLC now owns 15,289,624 shares of the transportation company’s stock valued at $2,080,170,000 after acquiring an additional 373,202 shares during the last quarter. International Assets Investment Management LLC increased its position in United Parcel Service by 15,779.6% in the third quarter. International Assets Investment Management LLC now owns 14,631,461 shares of the transportation company’s stock worth $1,994,853,000 after purchasing an additional 14,539,321 shares during the period. Finally, FMR LLC lifted its position in United Parcel Service by 3.7% during the 3rd quarter. FMR LLC now owns 10,627,550 shares of the transportation company’s stock valued at $1,448,960,000 after purchasing an additional 380,229 shares during the period. 60.26% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

United Parcel Service Stock Down 0.5 %

UPS stock opened at $132.98 on Friday. The company has a current ratio of 1.14, a quick ratio of 1.14 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.20. United Parcel Service, Inc. has a 1-year low of $121.56 and a 1-year high of $161.35. The stock has a market cap of $113.48 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 20.09, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.86 and a beta of 1.00. The company’s 50 day moving average is $128.95 and its 200 day moving average is $130.82.

United Parcel Service (NYSE:UPS) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, October 24th. The transportation company reported $1.76 earnings per share for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $1.63 by $0.13. The business had revenue of $22.20 billion during 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 firm’s revenue for the quarter was up 5.4% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period in the previous year, the firm posted $1.57 earnings per share. Sell-side analysts predict that United Parcel Service, Inc. will post 7.49 EPS for the current fiscal year.

United Parcel Service Dividend Announcement

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Thursday, December 5th. Shareholders of record on Monday, November 18th were given a dividend of $1.63 per share. This represents a $6.52 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 4.90%. The ex-dividend date was Monday, November 18th. United Parcel Service’s payout ratio is currently 98.49%.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several equities analysts recently weighed in on UPS shares. JPMorgan Chase & Co. increased their price objective on shares of United Parcel Service from $134.00 to $135.00 and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a report on Tuesday, January 7th. Stifel Nicolaus dropped their price objective on United Parcel Service from $156.00 to $153.00 and set a “buy” rating for the company in a report on Thursday. Citigroup reduced their target price on United Parcel Service from $163.00 to $158.00 and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a report on Tuesday, November 12th. Evercore ISI lifted their price objective on shares of United Parcel Service from $141.00 to $147.00 and gave the stock an “in-line” rating in a research note on Wednesday. Finally, Barclays reaffirmed an “underweight” rating and issued a $120.00 target price on shares of United Parcel Service in a research note on Monday, October 21st. Two research analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, five have given a hold rating, fifteen have issued a buy rating and two have issued a strong buy rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the stock currently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $151.24.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other news, insider Norman M. Brothers, Jr. sold 7,325 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, November 25th. The stock was sold at an average price of $138.57, for a total value of $1,015,025.25. Following the completion of the transaction, the insider now owns 45,098 shares in the company, valued at $6,249,229.86. This trade represents a 13.97 % decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available through this hyperlink. Company insiders own 0.13% of the company’s stock.

About United Parcel Service

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.